


Home

by EponineFaye



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Swen, swan queen - Fandom
Genre: AU no curse, Adorable, Alternate Universe - No Curse, F/F, Family, Family first, Hurt/Compfort, Love, No Curse, Swan Queen - Freeform, Swan-Mills Family, Swen - Freeform, romance later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-18 17:58:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 97,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4715198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EponineFaye/pseuds/EponineFaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SQ. AU - THERE IS NO CURSE. Regina is dating Graham, Emma comes to town and falls hard. Family dynamic grows and life is full of nonsense no one really expects, but you learn to deal with it because of the people you love. Shit goes down. Romance. Humor. Angst. Rated M: course language, sexual content, and mild violence. Don't ever get to comfortable.  R&R<br/>Reviews make me smile. You are loved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN:: I know I shouldn't start a new one, but I am.  
> Request from tumblr from "athenades87," with a little bit of tweaking and my creative paint brush to make it into a whole story. This will be a chapter story, and I hope everyone likes it.  
> You're encouraged to share it anywhere you please, as I will be doing, shamelessly promoting myself for my own need of having people read my "ok" stories and telling me that it's at least above average. But I expect only honesty, please :)
> 
> R&R, as always - you are loved.

For some reason or another, the easy jazz station had its way of grating on the nerves that morning.

Emma would have liked to think of herself as one of those girls who likes all sorts of music, if not because she forced herself to be fairly knowledgeable because her source of income depended on it, then to make the passing statement of "I listen to everything" less of a lie to the nameless man or woman she'd hit on when she didn't want to feel the cold sting of empty sheets every now and again.

One of those nights happened to be the night prior. One of the only reasons Emma even had the radio going was to drown out the obnoxiously loud breathing of the stranger in her bed. She didn't mind him being there for the time being simply because she knew how pissed she'd be if someone woke her up too early after a night of heavy drinking, which had to have been the case last night due to the blonde's throbbing temples when she herself had woken up, and the perpetual state of confusion and loss her mind came to each time she tried to think of this guy's name.

And no, she wouldn't not look in his wallet - that would be too easy.

Yet, even in the presence of all of Emma's good manners, she needed the overwhelming silence of loneliness again. Having another body in the room with her while she tried to fill out paperwork was getting into her head space and pissing her off to a degree she didn't like to be in.

Besides, one o'clock was long enough for this guy to get his beauty sleep. He needed to get out.

Emma heated up coffee from her batch earlier in the day and set it down on the end table closest to where mystery man was sprawled out in her bed and pushed his clothes over toward him from their random places around the floor with her feet alone.

With as little disgust on her face as she could maintain it to, she gripped his shoulder with only her thumb and index finger, shaking him gently. And again, but her efforts even the third and fourth time did nothing but elicit a small grunt from him. Instead she went over to her radio and cranked up the volume until he sprang up in bed, eyes wide open and a bewildered look on his face.

"Hey, sunshine." She said, faking a grin.

The man cleared his throat and rubbed his eyes. "Hi?"

"Hi there." She nodded, leaning on the end of her desk across the room from him. "So, thank you for being such a cooperative house guest, but you gotta leave."

"What?"

"There's coffee on the night stand, your clothes are right there - nothing stolen, scout's honor," she did the sign of the cross over her torso, hoping he got the joke. "..and your cab will be here in about ten minutes."

The man just furrowed his eyebrows and scratched his head with both hands. "Really?"

"Mm hmm."

"That's it?"

Emma looked around the room. "What... Do you want creamer?"

"Do I even get your number?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't plan on seeing you again."

The man looked completely perplexed, so Emma laughed and took a small amount of pity on him.

"Listen, I don't make many connections - especially not with people I sleep with, and I haven't had a repeat performance in about six years. I don't believe in relationships, and I don't want one. So, I'm sure you did your job, but that's about it. And I'm afraid if you try to come and see me again, or call me obsessively, or do something 'cute' like send me flowers or chocolates or any of that shit, I will personally hunt you down and hurt you. You won't know how I'll hurt you, and I don't either yet... but I can be very creative. Trust me." She winked.

With the same shocked look on his face, he just nodded. "I think I may have just fallen in love with you."

Emma let out a small, humorless laugh. "Eight minutes, buddy."

* * *

Another night, another scum bag.

The blonde let the thought sink in for a moment, smirking to herself and feeling as though that applied even when she wasn't on the job. Though as it sunk even more, she didn't know if that was something to laugh over...

But there was no time to think about that. She had to go take down some asshole who let his grandmother bail him out and skipped town. Emma put up the other half of the bail and met her... she didn't understand how anyone could wrong someone who was so sweet and who loved them so much.

And as the ache struck her stomach thinking of family she shook the thought from her mind.

"Hi... are you Jeremy?" She shook his hand, putting on her best smile.

* * *

_"There goes the fear again... there goes your fear.. "_ Emma sang to herself unlocking her door, and juggling boxes in her other hand.

The guy turned out to be easier to take down than she thought - he thought his grand mother was sweet, but this dude was a pansy if she'd ever seen one. She didn't even have to fight him, she just talked about his grandma putting up money in mostly fives, tens, and twenties, and he started crying like a bitch. All Emma had to do was tell him he was pathetic and a coward and he put his hands out for her to cuff himself. The thought almost made her laugh... almost.

She kicked her door shut, not a second afterward kicking off her heels. She opened her personal cupcake and stuck the candle in. Her small tub of ice cream in the freezer before coming back and lighting the candle. She leaned in close, searching the flame for some kind of higher significance to her life than she saw herself.

"Another banner year..." She said to only the air around her, wishing she had the courage to have friends to wish her a happy birthday. But friends meant feelings, and sharing things. Emma didn't even think she had anything to share, really. What? Her life of one-night-stands and filling out paperwork on people who were living lives more fulfilling than her own _and_ they were still assholes. And the anxiety of losing the people she may become close with if she could even let herself open up to anyone. All of it wrapped itself up and made a pit in her stomach she would never admit was there, to herself or anyone else. But even more secretly, she wished didn't have to be alone...

Not a moment after the she blew out her candle, the door bell rang.

"...the fuck?"

She kicked her heels out of the way and opened the door. "I thought I said..."

Well, it wasn't the guy from that morning unless there was some freaky Tom Hanks bullshit from "Big" going on...

Emma didn't even try to hide the confusion from her face. "'Sup." She grunted out.

"Are you Emma Swan?" The little boy asked with a gross hopeful look plastered all over him.

She squinted at him. "Who wants to know?"

* * *

Her son.

_Her son?_

This was not what she asked for. Not at all.

All she could do to keep herself together was keep looking at the road. Just focus on driving, and not the shaky nervousness that was consuming her mind. She felt something that lay right in the middle of confused as hell and angry that the system did her wrong yet again and somehow let this kid find her.

She didn't know how to look at him and know that he was connected to her, no matter how hard she had tried to have no one be more than a face in her repertoire.

"So what's your favorite color?" He asked, smiling like he didn't have a care in the world.

Emma shook her head. "Don't have one."

"That's impossible."

"It is not. I just told you-"

"You lied."

She looked over at him scrunching her face up. "Don't assume things."

"I'm not assuming. _Everyone_ has a favorite color."

Emma huffed. "Fine... white... I guess?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Why is that your favorite color?"

She shrugged. "It's simple? It goes with anything, and goes with itself better than anything else."

Henry nodded.

"So how'd you find me?"

"I'm super smart."

Emma rolled her eyes. "So, I guess your parents don't know you came to find me?"

"I don't have parents." Henry stated.

The blonde just glanced at him with a knowing look. That's the only way she would have given him up if he went to a permanent home right away - of course he had fucking parents.

"I just have a mom... and this guy who pretends to be my dad."

"At least you have people who want you."

Henry crossed his arms. "She doesn't want me. She works too much to barely even see me."

"She has to support you, doesn't she?" Emma said flatly.

"She doesn't care."

"Whatever kid."

They sat in silence for a moment, Emma not wanting to look at the little boy she gave up so long ago, and Henry not knowing how to start a conversation that didn't start with the favorite color question. All he wanted was to know who his real mother was, and maybe his father if he was lucky.

It was Emma who cleared her throat and broke the silence. "So Maine, yes... where in Maine are we going?"

"Please don't take me home yet..." He begged, just short of sticking out his lip.

"I have to take you home. I could be brought up on fucking kidnapping charges and shit."

"You owe me a dollar." He stuck out his hand.

"What?"

"Fifty cents for every swear."

Emma laughed. At least he had normalcy in his life, she thought. "There's change in the ash tray."

Henry smiled and looked for quarters.

"So where to?"

He looked at her as his shoulders dropped. "Really?"

"Really-really."

With a huff he turned back to the ash tray. "Storybrooke. You'll get off at the next exit."

"Storybrooke? Come on..."

"Hey, you don't get to pick where I live."

"No shit, but I didn't expect for you live in a Hallmark card."

"I'm taking fifty more cents."

"Go for it."

* * *

As Emma rolled down the streets of a very sleepy Storybrooke, she almost felt like she was entering a different world. After living in cities for as long as she could remember, this place seemed like a ghost town aside from a few lights in windows and the literally _one_ dude walking his dog down the street. She stopped the car, waving to the guy. She hopped to whatever deity was listening that this town was as small as it looked.

"Hey!" She yelled out.

The man turned around and looked at her, a smile automatically coming to his face as he did a slight jog over to her. "Hello, there."

"Uhm.. hi." She said, almost a little creeped out by the cheer. "Do you know this kid?" She pointed in her car.

The man peered in the open driver's side door. He smiled at Emma before turning his attention back to the little boy. "Hi, Henry... what's going on?"

"This is my mom." Henry replied with a giant smile.

"So you do know him."

He nodded. "Henry comes to see me every week. Mostly about you actually..." The man pushed his glasses up nervously.

"You his shrink?"

"...Well, I'm a psychologist... an-"

"Great. Do you know where he lives?"

"Yuh-yeah.." He pointed in the direction the bug was already pointing. "The Mayor's house is the biggest on the street. It's just a few blocks from here, it should be on your left."

Emma let her shoulders drop and grimaced a little. "You're the fucking Mayor's kid?"

"...Aaaaand that's four bucks." She said gingerly, opening the ash tray again.

The blonde turned back to the stranger who looked nothing short of extremely uncomfortable. "Thanks." She nodded before climbing back into the bug.

"I'm Archie.." He said extending a hand just outside the open drivers window.

"Emma." She nodded, not taking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

They sped off in the direction that the man had pointed, and Emma still couldn't bring herself to ask any important questions to this kid. She didn't even know if she wanted to. Sure, she wondered what his childhood was like, what he did in his spare time, if he was the kid who played sports or the artsie kid, or the kid who was really nice and good at talking in front of the class. Instead her mouth formed a hard line, unable to inquire about any such thing.

"Are you going to tell me which one you live in, or are you going to make me guess?"

Henry turned in his seat toward the woman who gave birth to him. "Please don't make me go home."

She rolled her eyes. "Kid, your life is probably awesome if your mom's the Mayor."

"But I don't! I-"

"No." Emma glanced at him, before examining the houses to her left again. "You're going to listen to me and listen to me right now. I gave you up because I knew whoever got you could take a hell of a lot better care of you than I could. Obviously if this lady wanted you enough to _adopt_ you. She spends her money on you. She buys you nice clothes. She gives you a place to sleep, and feeds you, and trust me, that is a _lot_ more than so many kids who are alive just right now." She let out a long breath, feeling like she would explode if she kept going.

Finally there was a giant house, perfect shrubbery, and a fancy metal fence.

This was it.

"You live here, don't you?"

He twisted his face in desperation. "But she has a boyfriend... I don't like him."

"So you come and get me?" She arched an eyebrow. "What good did you think that would do?"

Henry offered a shrug.

"Get out of the car." The blonde said before getting out herself.

Henry slammed his door, walking over to Emma instead of toward the house. "Emma, you have to stay... please."

"Why? What do you want me to do? Chase out this dude you don't like?"

"Sure? Why not?"

She leveled a stare at the little boy as they approached the half-way point of the walk way. "Does this guy hurt you?" She asked.

"No."

"Does he hurt your mom?"

"No." Henry's shoulders slumped.

"Is he a bad guy?"

"Well..."

"Listen kid," She knelt down to get eye-level with the son she didn't know. "Your mom is a grown woman. She can make her own decisions, and I think you just don't like not having her to yourself. Just because she has someone else around doesn't mean she loves you any less. Maybe you should try to accept him, and you guys could make a cute little Hallmark card family, in this tiny ffff..freaking" She winked catching herself," po-dunk town? Who knows?"

"He thinks he's my dad... ordering me around..."

"Maybe your mom needed some help? Are you a rowdy kid?"

"No." He made a face as though he was offended.

"Well you kinda ran away to find me an-"

"She's not happy."

"Has she told you that, or are you assuming?" Emma dead-panned.

Henry let out a groan. "She's not the same since he's been around. I just want a mom who loves me and pays attention to things. Now she's just empty, and it's all since _he's_ been around."

"Kid..."

" _Henry!_ "

Both of their heads whipped around at the door, as a brunette blur came hurtling out of the door and enveloped Henry in an embrace.

Emma shoved her hands in her pockets, not knowing how to react to the situation at hand.

The brunette pulled back, and that's when she caught her first glance at the woman who'd adopted the tiny thing she popped out ten years ago. The same woman who had currently put the blonde under what felt like cardiac arrest. Her mouth opened, feeling as though she was too perfect to begin to describe. She was like something out of a magazine, or out of a really high-class porno... or not even that - this lady was too classy for that. She was more like a model in a perfume commercial, one of the ones who didn't have to do anything but look into the camera slowly to sell every fucking bottle, no problem.

Emma. Was. Floored.

"Where have you been?" She asked the little boy, worry creasing her brow.

"I went and found my _real_ mom!" He yelled before dashing through the door that was set ajar.

The brunette slowly turned her attention from where the little boy had been standing to the stranger in front of her.

Emma formed her mouth into what she hoped was a friendly smile, though her insides were doing funny things, so her facial expressions weren't exactly under control. "Hi..." she said, like a genius.

"You're Henry's birth mother?" The brunette questioned, giving the blonde a once-over, seemingly shocked at the news.

"I'm Emma..." She stuck out her hand weakly.

"Hon?" A voice called from the background.

The woman turned to a man standing in the doorway. She glanced back at Emma before wringing her hands together. "Graham, would you check on Henry, please?"

The man nodded, passing a shifty gaze toward Emma before retreating back into the house, closing the door behind him.

She turned back to face the blonde, who was still every bit enamored with this woman.

Giving a pitiful excuse for a smile, the brunette took the offered hand. "I'm sorry, your name was.."

"Emma.. Swan?" She nodded, not without having to gulp down the nerves that were attacking her.

She nodded. "I'm Regina Mills." Her eyes fraught with a different kind of nerves she tried to smile again. "I'm Henry's mother."

"Right."

"Yes... well,"

Regina couldn't be real, was all that Emma had going through her mind. She couldn't look away from the big chocolate eyes that were staring right back at her as they stayed like that for a few silent moments, while the blonde let her peripheral soak up the elegant body her dress did little to no justice for.

Then the brunette looked down to their hands, still in the strange joined position, awkwardly drifting up and down much slower than it began. Her mouth formed a hard line.

She motioned back to her home. "I would be rude if I didn't invite you in."

Emma shook her head. "No... that's-"

"I insist." She said, her face impossible to read. "How'd you like to have some of the best cider you've ever tasted?"

She took a large breath. "Okay."

* * *

Emma took her time taking in her surroundings. The house was prettier than anything she'd actually been in. It looked like one of those houses in the magazines that your read when you're waiting at the doctor. It hardly even looked like anyone lived in it. She was impressed - she wanted better for her kid, yeah... but this was going above and beyond. As far as adoption went, this kid hit the family lottery.

"This place is nice." Emma said, accepting the brandy glass from the brunette.

Regina nodded with that same almost-smile. "Thank you." She nodded before motioning to her study. "Shall we?" she offered.

Emma only nodded and followed her in before Regina shut the door quietly. There was something about her that made Emma feel like she was two inches tall and much less of a woman than she considered herself to be before. Maybe she was a woman of power... sure... that had to be it.

"So... Miss Swan, how exactly did Henry find you?" She asked, pacing around her desk.

Emma sat down on a very pretty sofa. "I'm not sure, actually. I asked him but he dodged the question pretty well..."

"You have no idea?"

"Nope." She shook her head. "I asked for a closed adoption. I was under the impression he couldn't find me even if he wanted to."

Regina took a spot on the couch opposite the blonde. "He's a clever boy."

"He says so too..."

There was an awkward silence that passed between the two - the elephant in the room looming over them like a dark cloud threatening to pour down on them at any moment.

Emma took a sip of her cider. "This is good?" She said, only trying to break the emptiness in the air.

"Thank you." Regina said, setting her own glass on the table. "I think we should face the matter at hand, no matter how difficult it may be for either one of us." She smiled in a way that made Emma want to giggle.

But she held back, nodding and putting the glass down. "Right. We should." She folded her hands in her lap, desperately trying to look as professional as Regina did, though it seemed to come far more easily to the brunette.

"I'm not heartless, however, I don't want to assume that you want the agreement to change now that you've seen Henry. By all matter of law he's still my son, and you are still not to have contact with him." She said, looking somewhere on the coffee table. "However, I'm more concerned for Henry's well being that I am about obeying matters of the state, so long as boundaries are not over-stepped. By that I mean, now that Henry knows who you are, for you to be ripped away from him would be rather traumatic, and I'm not prepared to willingly allow that sort of pain to enter into his life."

Emma gave a slight nod, feeling like this chick was way too good at looking good doing pretty much nothing.

"So." She took a breath, "I'd like you to stay in town for a day or two, while I talk to Henry's therapist and Henry, to find the best course of action so that Henry gets out of this situation, hopefully, unharmed, or with as little damage as possible."

"Yeah... That sounds perfectly healthy to me." She shrugged.

Regina's plastered-on smile faltered slightly.

At this, the blonde couldn't help but notice and took another swig of the drink she was offered. "Okay, I'll give you the real thing - I'm not a mom. I knew that when I got pregnant, and I know that now. I'm willing to go along with whatever you think is best for the kid, because - in a way - I kinda... gave him to you, ya know? I trusted someone else to raise him, and as far as I can tell, he's okay... he conned me out of like five bucks and got all the way to Brooklyn, so he has to be smart..."

"He did what?"

"Uhm... I swear a lot, so..."

"No, he got across state lines?" Her face twisted in horror. "He was alone and went all the way there..." her hand went over her mouth in shock.

"Well at least he's safe... like.. he's not in trouble _now?_ I guess we can be thankful for that, right?"

Regina shook her head. "No he's in trouble." Authority took over her voice. She looked up to the blonde and shook her head. "That's... anyway." She closed her eyes for a moment, composing herself again. "I just can't believe it. I'll talk to him later, but for now, I think we should say goodnight." She stood up abruptly, settling invisible wrinkles from her dress.

"Okay... sure..." She stood up as well, fidgeting awkwardly with her jacket.

Regina led them out and toward the door.

"There's an Inn just up the road. Grannies... it has a rather large sign I'm sure you won't miss." She avoided eye contact in opening the door.

Emma nodded. "Well.. thanks for the cider..." she said awkwardly, standing at the door and sure something was missing.

The brunette chanced a look into the blue eyes she hadn't dared to peek at since her arrival. "Thank you for bringing my son back to me." She said sincerely.

A short grunt of laughter escaped her. "No problem." She shoved her hands in her pockets and shuffled from foot to foot on the door step.

Regina smiled lightly. "I'll be in touch, Miss Swan."

"Okay..." Emma offered a small, nerdy wave and stepped away, still facing the door. "See ya.."

"Goodnight." Regina shut the door softly.

Emma turned around and headed for her bug, only looking back to glance up, seeing a little boy break his stare and move away from his curtain. She didn't know what she was getting herself into, but this felt different. This felt like she was in something she never intended to happen... though she didn't wholly regret it.

* * *

As the door shut, Regina slumped against it, closing her eyes.

What was that? This woman she should hate for intruding into her life, threatening her only role that was set in stone, the only role she really wanted, and yet, she wanted her to stay. Yes for Henry, but also to see what she was all about. She wasn't the quiet people of the town she'd known all of her life. She wasn't just another face to be forgotten.

The brunette didn't know weather to hate her or befriend the stranger, but she needed more time to find out why she was brought here. There was always a reason for cruel twists of fate, and if it was only to be in Henry's life, to give him some amount of closure that she herself could not give her son, then so be it... but Regina had the sneaking suspicion it was more than that.

"Regina?"

Graham came down the stairs, looking at her with his brow furrowed.

"How is he?" She asked, standing upright again.

"He'll be fine. He's very tired.. a little closed up, but he's not hurt in any way." He smiled, putting his hands on her hips with a familiarity they'd become accustomed to. "How are you?"

Regina shrugged. "I'm a little shaken up... but can you blame me?"

"He's fine..."

Graham embraced the woman he'd become so attached to, not knowing that his girlfriend wasn't just shaken up due to her son... but a certain blonde she simply did not know what to think of.


	2. Chapter 2

_You can't breathe.  
_

_You don't have to breathe. It's not that important. It's not hurting anything._

_Everything is peaceful. Eerily peaceful, but not unpleasant as many other things.. it's better than daytime television or the am radio stations you listen to pretending you have any sort of opinion on whatever they're talking about._

_But it doesn't feel the way peace should. It's not right. Everything is grainy at the edges - nothing is certain. Anything that floats by your vision is only half-there._

_There's light, though. You're looking right at it but it doesn't hurt your eyes like you think it should._

_You try and call out "Hello?," but your voice is caught in your chest. your heart starts beating faster as your lungs burn - maybe they've been burning for a while, but you can't tell. They feel like they've been on fire for longer than you've noticed. Darkness sneaks up and around either side of you, pulling you away from the light._

_No._

_No, it's not pulling._

_You're not going anywhere. You're still suspended in the same dull limbo you've been stuck in for what seems like a series of eternities. The darkness is moving. It's growing, moving higher and stealing away the warmth. It slithers around you, holding you in place as it slowly swallows up the last of the light while it makes you watch._

_Everything begins to shake._

_You're frantic in reaching, trying to grasp on to anything but nothing's there. You want to cry but your mind is too busy trying to understand the sudden change._

_There's a blaring repetitious roar that's sounding and shaking your entirety. It keeps going, and something touches you._

_You turn to try and see what it is but you're met with only more emptiness in the cold, dark, thundering abyss._

_Regina... Regina you..._

* * *

She woke with a start, immediately clamping her hand over her heaving chest, willing her heart to slow it's beating.

"Regina." Graham elbowed her, not hard enough to be rough, but enough to be a rude awakening. "Would you get the alarm?"

"Ye-" Her voice was hoarse and felt rough in her throat.

Instead of answering Regina rolled over out of his reach and hit the largest button on the alarm clock and closed her eyes again. She tried gulping down the taste in her mouth but it wouldn't remove itself that easily.

With a few more deep breaths she was able to push herself upright, swinging her feet off her side of the bed.

She frowned, thinking at least she slept through the rest of the night after she checked on Henry for the second time.

And like every morning there was the familiar pit in her stomach, one that sat there and held it's stubborn head high as it ate away at what she felt she was before. She still felt like herself, but a muffled, pinned version that was still - in essence - _her._ But it was only a tiny piece of the woman she felt she knew she could be. And the worst part of it was, she didn't understand where along the line she lost all of what she had worked so hard for started slipping away. One moment her son loved her, the man she carefully chose to involve herself with was enamored with her, and her career was peaceful and ran smoothly.

Now everything seemed dull.

Henry seemed to despise being around her, though nothing else seemed in her life seemed to change.

Maybe it was just her? Maybe age was starting to settle over her early and life was beginning to end?

Regina sat there until the alarm started screaming again before turning it off. She gave a large sigh and leaned over to Graham. "It's time to wake up." She said gently with a rehearsed kiss to the scruff on his face.

She grabbed her robe on the way out of the room and secured the tie walking down the hall to her sons room.

"Henry?" She knocked on the door, it consequently falling open the slightest bit.

There he laid with a comic book draped over his chest and his blankets only coming up to his knees.

She came in with a smile on her face, taking the comic away gently and smoothing messy hair back. "Henry... honey, how much sleep did you get?"

The little boy's eyes clamped shut almost as soon as he opened them. He coward away from the light from his window, pulling away from his mother's touch at the same time. "No mom!" he shook his head, grasping at covers.

Regina stopped his hands from pulling the spider man sheet up. "No, you have school - let's go." She rubbed his back as he turned away from her.

"I don't care. I'm not going." He said, grumpily.

"Of course you are, Henry." Her tone roughened a notch. "I'll start the shower for you. You have two minutes."

Henry growled into his wrists as he rubbed his eyes.

"Listen to your mother." Graham stood in the doorway with his arms folded.

The brunette turned her head giving him a look.

"You're not my parents. I don't need to listen to you." Henry whined, scooting further to the edge of his bed.

"Henry-"

"Just because you found the chick who gave you up doesn't mean she's not your mother, young man!"

"Graham!" Regina, pushed him out of the room, closing the door behind them. "Stop. He's-"

"He's being a brat. You need to punish him."

"He's just waking up! He can be a little snappy - lord knows you are."

"What about him running away?"

Regina folded her arms, shaking her head at him. "I'm not talking about this now."

She tried to walk by him but he grabbed her by the arm. "You don't want to talk about it last night, and not this morning, then when?"

"When _I_ think he's ready-"

"He's a child, Regina - he doesn't make the rules."

She yanked her arm away, nodding. "You're right, he doesn't. _I do._ " She glared at him. " _I_ am his mother and I think we have some things to work through before we go changing things in his life more. Adjusting to this woman being here-"

" _Isn't_ as important as you still demonstrating you're his parent. By _punishing_ him."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I'm making coffee. Don't go back into his room."

Graham sighed, his shoulders slumping as she started down the stares. "Regina, can-"

"Would you start the shower for him, please?"

She didn't wait for an answer as she went the rest of the way to the kitchen, but heard the shower going a moment later. Regina knew he was only trying to help, but his way of helping only seemed to cause more friction. And friction between her and her son didn't need any helping.. it seemed to be doing just fine on it's own.

Her fingers came to rest heavily on the bridge on her nose. Maybe it was the morning. Maybe it was the weight on her shoulders that never seemed to leave? Maybe it was everything and nothing in particular... but Regina wanted to crawl back into bed and rewind to when life seemed like a simple linear path that was just watching Henry grow, when the bumps in the road weren't quite so large.

But bumps there were, and she needed to smooth them out with as much calm and control as possible on her part.

She picked up the phone, clearing her throat as she dialed.

"Hello. Could you patch me through to Grannie's Inn, please?"

* * *

Well... at least the waitress was hot.

Emma couldn't remember the last time she was in a place like this. It seemed so small-town comfort compared to anything she'd come by in a long time. And she wouldn't lie - it was just weird. She wanted someone to yell at someone else for getting too close to their food or a homeless person to be mumbling in the corner so it felt more like she was just one of the nobodies in there... but no one was nobody to anyone in this place. Everyone smiled, because this damn town was too small for anyone to not know another person. Which was probably why she got so many eyes on the way in. And as people walked to their tables.

The chick with slightly gothic looking red streaks in her hair that took her order was polite enough not to make it a topic of small talk as she walked her over to a booth, but it was obvious she was curious.

Which made Emma feel awkward.

Not that that stopped her from admiring the leather-clad ass that strutted behind the counter afterward.

Other than the waitress though, this place was just unpleasant. And by unpleasant she meant _so_ pleasant that it made her teeth hurt. Like too much candy and not enough water.

"Miss Swan."

Emma's head snapped up as Regina sat down, grinning like a child.

"Hey.." She said, brilliantly.

Regina smiled. "How was your first night in Storybrooke?"

"It was fine." She nodded. "It was quiet.. something I'm not used to."

"No?" Regina, looked over to the waitress nodding.

Emma looked over in time to see her roll her eyes before she scampered back into the kitchen.

"What level of volume are you used to in the evening hours?" Her brow furrowed.

It was all she could do not to have her eyes pop out of her head. Did she mean to say she thought she said?

Regina's hand went to cover her mouth. "That's not what I meant."

Emma laughed.

"I wu-wasn't referring to anything... _anything_ of your pr-pri-private nature." She shook her head as her face picked up hues of pink and red.

"You sure."

"Yes, I am _quite_ sure."

Regina's eyes remained wide and fixed on something on the table she was desperately trying to scratch off with her thumb nail but couldn't seem to get.

"Hey.." Emma waved a hand.

The brunette finally looked up, ease wearing slowly into her features.

"It's fine, lady." She shrugged. "I've made dirtier jokes intentionally, so don't sweat it." She winked.

After blinking a few times, the mayor nodded shortly. "Well.."

"The kid okay?" Emma offered, changing the subject for her.

Regina took a breath, sweeping hair away from her face. "He's... he's a bit difficult at the moment."

"Yeah?"

"He's at an age..." Her facial expression changed before looking back at the other woman. "My son is very much a typical boy of his age."

Emma shrugged. "I wouldn't know." Her tone was matter of fact - just the way she felt. She didn't want to make this lady think that she was trying to take over in any way. "He seems alright to me. Sure - he's sure as hell brave for getting all the way to the city by himself."

"Yes, we talked about that."

"How much trouble is he in?"

Regina opened her mouth as though she were about to say something, before closing it and giving only a polite smile. "That's not why I asked you here, Miss Swan."

Emma raised an eyebrow and felt some butterflies. "It's not?... I mean you didn't want to talk about the kid."

"Of course I.. I want to speak of _Henry_..." Her shoulders fell. "I want to talk about making a plan of sorts."

"A plan?"

"I would like to set a course of action, with you, so that we're on the same page as to how to handle the situation."

Emma just started to nod when the waitress came back, setting black coffee and toast in front of Regina before placing the cocoa in front of her.

"Thank you, Ruby."

"Uhm.. I asked for cinnamon on top, too..." Emma pointed to the naked whipped cream setting on top of the hot drink.

"Right." She pranced back to the counter, searching behind the bar.

Regina's face twisted in suspicion. "What's that."

"Hot cocoa, with whipped cream.." Emma started.

Ruby sprinkled the cinnamon on top of the beverage, "and cinnamon on top!"

"Thanks.. Ruby?"

"Anytime." And with a wink she was back to hurrying around the diner.

When Emma looked back, the mayor was looking at the cup of cocoa with a strange look.

She tilted her head, trying to get the other woman's attention. "Is this not that good here?" She asked, motioning to her drink.

Regina's eyes snapped up. "No.. No, it's-uhm.." She scratched her nose hesitantly. "Henry orders that almost every time we come here."

"Oh.."

There were a few moments of strange silence, both of them staring at the drink as though it would perform a trick for them if they looked at it for long enough. Emma kept feeling like she should say something, but all that came to mind were crappy compliments. She didn't want to hit on the lady who was raising her kid - that seemed way too awkward... like a fucked up 'Parent Trap' sequel. But she didn't really have anything else...

"You have really nice hair...?"

Nope.

Whatever she was supposed to say there, she knew that wasn't it.

Regina's eyebrows hit the ceiling as her mouth dropped open.

And just as Emma was about to shrink back into her seat and mumble some kind of apology, the brunette burst into laughter, an open grin taking over her face and making her eyes light up.

Emma smiled on instinct alone, both thankful she didn't break some unspoken rule and because she was absolutely mesmerized by the woman in front of her. It was completely different from when she first turned to her the night before after Henry ran into the house. This was like looking the sun in the face without it hurting your eyes - like feeling it on your skin at a day at the beach. Emma felt a little laughter bubble out of her mouth.

"Well.." Regina caught her breath. "..I suppose that's one way to end an uncomfortable silence."

She shrugged. "You're welcome."

The mayor suppressed another smile before clearing her throat. "So, back to the plan."

"Right - plan."

She folded her hands in her lap. "I think we should meet with Henry's therapist, just you and I, after his session on Thursday."

"Thursday?"

Regina nodded. "That's when his appointments are."

"But that's three days from now?"

"...Yes?"

"Oh." Emma nodded and faked a shrug. "Right.. of course. Sure, that sounds fine." Inside she was thinking more _'Damn it damn it damn it... I don't think I trust myself around her for that long...'_

"Were you hoping to leave sooner than that." A different kind of suspicion flashed over her face that when she was looking at the cocoa before.

"Well, ya know, I don't really see myself as being in his life?" She played with her fingernails under the table. "I wasn't supposed to be a mom - or _his_ mom. I don't want to screw him up over being around me any more than I already have."

It almost looked like hurt washed over the brunette's features, but it was gone as soon as Emma could pick up on it. But she nodded. "I see."

Emma rested her elbows on the table. "But, listen.. I'm willing to go along with whatever you have planned." She tried her best not to tumble into the big brown eyes that made her mouth all dry and hands all sweaty. "I mean, you're the parent and I don't want to leave you here with a mess to deal with by yourself."

"I just want to get Dr. Hopper's opinion on what would be best." She gulped, pulling out small cup of jam from the little iron holder in the middle of the table. "But perhaps I should ask if you'd even be interested in continue a... visitational relationship with Henry.." She glanced up for just a moment before getting a knife to apply the jam to her toast. "If it were what was best for him."

Emma let out a long sigh, then took a drink. "Uhm... I guess so? Like a once a month kinda thing?" She nodded, overall unsure. "I mean, if I couldn't make it... then letters? Or phone calls? I just-I.. I don't think he should call me mom or anything, or think of me as his parent, I don't think that's right or that that should ever happen."

"Miss Swan, I-"

"Emma." She shook her head, sitting back in her seat, feeling a shaky sickness creep into her stomach. "Can you call me Emma, I feel like an old lady when you call me _Miss Swan_ , it's weird."

"I-I'm sorry... Emma.." She looked back down to her toast. "I would never encourage that. I agree that _I_ am his parent. That's not about to change. All I'm concerned with is that Henry doesn't feel abandoned or less than because you don't want to stay in his life, especially after you've met him." She looked back up, making eye contact and making Emma extremely uncomfortable in the process. "I don't want him to feel like he's not worth loving. Because he is. He is a wonderful boy and I love him very much. It would kill me to see him hurt."

Emma just looked at her for a moment, feeling the weight of responsibility drop on her shoulders almost immediately. It was all she could do to nod.

Regina straightened her back. "Now, I feel obligated to ask about his father as well... if you're willing to talk about him."

"You don't have to worry," Emma shrugged. She was much quieter than before, almost holding herself with the sudden change she knew her life had just taken. "..he doesn't really exist." She shook her head. "It could have been any number of guys. I got pregnant when I was seventeen, and I was a pretty stupid kid. I made a lot of fucked up decisions."

"I'm not here to judge you for your past, I'm only-"

"Trying to figure out where your kid is from... right. I get it." She shook her head. "But where he's from I don't want to go back to." She took another drink and looked out the window to anything. "Look, there's no father on the birth certificate because I didn't know who he was and honestly whatever scum bag knocked me up isn't worth finding anyway."

Regina only nodded, holding her mouth in a disappointed line.

Emma looked back to her. "What?"

"Nothing... I, just.." She let out a small huff of hair. "I was only asking so that I was prepared if Henry tried to find him as well."

"There's no one to find."

"Yes, you've made that clear."

Regina took a bite of her toast and Emma just watched, feeling stupid and lonely, and like she was the last person in the world who should be involved in a kid's life. She felt awful just sitting there, not knowing how to go about talking to someone who was obviously much more of a real adult that she was. And what did she do? Fold her arms and grumble like a little kid - sure, that showed just how adult she was.

So she said something she hadn't said and meant for a long time.

"I'm sorry..."

The brunette shook her head. "Don't be."

"No, I'm here acting like a teenager and I should try to be adult about all this..."

"It's a difficult situation." Regina smiled lightly.

"Yeah." Emma nodded. And in that moment with the woman who should be having a harder time than her trying to give her some variety of comfort by empathizing with her, she grew up just a little bit. "Whatever's best for the kid."

As Regina's smile grew at the edges, softening her eyes.

And between the way the brunette was looking at her, the butterflies, and feeling like she was kind of becoming an adult, Emma wanted to run out of the diner as soon as she could and find the nearest _real_ bar and forget that the last twenty four hours happened. Shit was changing in her mind and hear heart and she knew it, and it scared her like nothing else could.

"Uhm.." Regina blinked, seeming as though she were trying to hide a grin, and started straightening her napkin, her plate - anything to have an excuse to not look at her. "I'm glad we're on the same page."

Emma shrugged. "Yeah, for sure..."

"I should get to work, though.." She pulled a zip-lock bag from her purse to put the toast in.

"Oh my god."

"What?"

Emma laughed. "You're really a mom... prepped with plastic baggies in your purse and everything."

And there it was - that brilliantly bright smile that Emma felt like she was controlled by. Even only seeing it the few times she had, it made her want to stop time and relax into it for a little while, take a little refuge in something genuine.

"I do what I can." Her eyes flashed bashfully up at the blonde, making her cheeks flush pink.

The younger woman bit her lip and took a deep breath.

"Now, I must be off, but... thank you," Regina got up and put her hand out to the blonde. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement." Her voice was softer than that of something that should have been more a matter of business.

In turn, Emma took her hand and shook it slowly, holding her breath as their eyes met again.

What was it about her that made her feel like everything was slower and sweeter with this woman close? It was annoyingly nerve wracking, and one of the most exhilarating feelings Emma could remember.

"Yeah.. of course." She said in a weak voice.

"I'll.. be in touch." Regina started to walk away slowly.

Emma help up one hand and a small smile. "See ya soon."

As the brunette walked out the door, the wind sweeping her hair and her frame bobbing up and down gracefully with each step made Emma want to giggle and puke at the same time.

This was wrong. This was all wrong and she needed to get out of this whole fucked up situation as fast as she could.

She wouldn't fuck things up for other people just because she had a crush on the most inappropriate person possible.

* * *

And there she was - grinning like a fool as she walked down the streets she knew better than the back of her hand. She couldn't even bring herself to remember the discomfort of this morning, and not by choice, but by the honest distraction from the way her head felt lighter than her feet, which seemed to be all but walking on air. There was a distinct flutter of happiness she hadn't felt in the longest time running through her. Everything around her seemed a little brighter, a little stronger than she remembered them being.

Regina tried to let her mind wander, but it kept falling back to the blonde. She couldn't understand her way of thinking - she'd never met anyone like her. There hadn't ever been anyone in town that was anything less than _vividly_ average.

Not Emma. She wasn't sleeping, she was wide awake to her world, and that was something Regina didn't think she'd ever experienced. She had always felt like she was spending moment after moment walking lazily from one chapter of her life to another.

Of course, Henry was the light and the joy that she depended on and was happy to provide for and give her unconditional love, but that love went unrequited for the most part, all but forcing her to dull her senses to the pain of the one person she gave her all to have. She would do anything for that little boy and he wanted nothing to do with her. It was only as ill fitting as it could be that the woman who gave birth to him would be the one to fill her with an excitement that was more foreign to her than the idea of the places she'd only ever read about. And that was both beautifully refreshing and profoundly terrifying.

Somehow even after turning over her breakfast with the blonde, Regina couldn't make the last jump to what she was undeniably feeling.

The reality and absurdity of the notion was too much - so it went unintentionally ignored for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Forgot to give credit to "There Goes the Fear" by Doves, the song Emma was singing to herself in the last chapter.))
> 
> Hope this is all going well for everyone.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey. Whiskey - preferably aged. Please."

The kid behind the counter smiled before leaning against the clear case chalk full of lottery tickets far too pompus for Emma's liking.

"Just whiskey?"

"Oooooooooooobviously. I didn't ask for anything else, did I?"

"Jeez, I was just making s-"

"Just trying to flirt, but I'm in no mood. I would like whiskey. Where do you keep that. I would like to buy some, and then leave." She clapped her hands twice and pointed at the door. "Fast as possible. I have a few days to drink my way through and I would like to start effective immediately."

He stuck his hands in his pockets and raised his eyebrows. "That bad?"

Emma nodded.

"No one as pretty as you has bought whiskey here, ever."

"Oh my god, you look about two minutes past seventeen - 'ever' for you can't be that long. Plus this town is about as big as my last apartment building, so I don't think there's much variety. Other than the waitress, but damn."

"The waitress likes tequila."

"Great." Emma rolled her eyes dramatically. "I don't care at all. Thank you for the customer service, I appreciate it."

She started to walk away when the kid ran out in front of her and waved her along behind him. She followed, dragging her feet and letting her shoulders slump forward like a child. But she was - she knew it. Buying alcohol was a scam, she knew she was just a glorified six year old with a license.

He pulled a step stool from behind what looked to be the staff door and put it in front of the shelf on the wall. "The good stuff is up there. It's more expensive, though."

"Thanks. Give me two of them. Please."

"Will do."

* * *

Regina stood outside Henry's school, her nose tucked under her scarf as she hopped from foot to foot. It turned out to be a colder day in fall than she expected, though if she were actually moving she suspected it wouldn't bite at her through her blazer so harshly.

The bell rang and no sooner did children start pouring out left and right. Her eyes darted through the masses to find her son, but wasn't until most of the students disbursed that he came into view - walking alone and clutching his backpack before swinging it over his shoulder angrily, only glancing up at her once or twice before continuing off right past her.

"Henry."

His only response was a wave, still walking away from her.

"Henry Nicholas, you get back here right now."

Henry stopped dead in his tracks and waited for his mother to catch up, refusing to actually do what she said.

"Henry."

"What!"

The brunette turned him quickly as she bent down to meet his gaze on his level. "You cannot talk to me like that, do you understand?"

His frown only deepened as his eyes went to the ground.

"Look at me."

He did - though his frown hit her hard.

"Do you understand me?"

"Yes, okay!"

"That tone needs to stop, I swear you'll sit at the table and do your homework then nothing until dinner, and then bed immediately."

Henry yanked his arm away roughly and crossed them over his chest in a huff.

"Are you done?"

It took a moment of staring off before he just nodded.

"Alright, then." She nodded, standing back up and holding her hand out to him. He took it, mouth down turned down still as he watched his shoes taking turns in front of the other on the pavement. "How was school?"

"It was fine."

"Just fine?"

"I guess."

"Did you miss anything from yesterday?"

He shook his head.

"Nothing?"

"I'm ahead. Ms. Blanchard gave be tomorrows homework on Monday."

"Really?" She smiled down at him. "Well, that's exciting!"

He just shrugged.

The look on his face killed her. It said he hated being with her - like she didn't love him enough or he wasn't ever happy with her. She tried to squeeze his hand but he didn't give her a response.

Regina let out a long sigh. "What's wrong?"

"What do you think?"

"Tone."

Henry ripped his hand away and growled angrily, tightening his little hands into fists, glaring at her. "No! You made her leave! You didn't even talk to me! She's my mom!"

"Henry-"

"You can't-"

"I am your mother!" She raised her voice above his, shaking her head. "I love you more than anything. I'm the one who's raised you all this time and I'm the one who you should have talked to before you ran away and tracked her down!"

Tears welled in Henry's eyes and Regina guided him over to a bench just off of the side walk and sat him down, kneeling in front of him. "Do you think I would have really told you no if you wanted to meet her?"

He just shrugged.

"Henry, I would never do anything to hurt you. I didn't even know you had any interest in meeting your birth mother, but if I did I would have tried to work something out for you. Some kind of meeting or correspondence so you could know who she was, but in a safe way. There is no way I would say it was alright for you to just leave the state by yourself and find her. Anything could have happened to you! And what you did was not alright - you will be punished. I just haven't quite figured out how."

"She's already gone, it doesn't matter now."

Regina shook her head. "She's not."

He looked up and her with his brows furrowed. "What?"

"I asked her to stay in town for a few days, we can ask Dr. Hopper what he thinks about this whole thing and what the best course of action would be." Regina smiled at him. "I'm not going to say you can't see her now. But you have to understand that it's not just your choice or mine, Henry - she's a person too and she has a say in what she wants to do."

"You mean if she doesn't want to see me."

The brunette sighed heavily, gulping down the anxiety at the whole situation. "I mean... Maybe she's not ready. You're wonderful. You're smart and you're funny. It might be painful for her to face what she gave up. Does that make sense?"

Henry nodded, slouching forward a bit more.

She lifted his chin to look at her again. "No matter what happens, I love you. That's never going to change."

His bottom lip shook a little.

"What if you love Graham more than me?"

Regina's eye brows went up. "What? Honey..." Her arms went around him faster than he could refuse and she held tight, feeling small tears prick at the corners of her eyes that she kept blinking away. "Henry, you're my son - he won't ever make me love you any less. I could never..." Her voice broke and she shook her head.

"He makes you different. You're not the same, I don't like it." He cried.

She pulled back and frowned. "How long have you felt this way?"

"I don't know."

"You need to talk to me about things. I love you, and I won't ever ignore what you have to say - but I can't guess at everything."

Henry wiped at his cheeks with his sleeves as he nodded.

Regina pulled tissues from her purse as she sat next to him. "Can we make a deal?"

"What?"

"If you promise to tell me what's bothering you from now on, I'll try and get Miss Swan to stay in town."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Emma hummed to herself for a moment, rolling her eyes at her own stupidity.

" _On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand-chose...Elles passent en un instant comme fanent les roses..._ "

She only knew what about half of the words meant and cared not even a little bit about the rest. It was a cute song and in a bad-ass movie that actually got the story right for once. There are no happy endings. Life just is and it keeps going until it doesn't. Each moment is just the set up for the next one. Plus, how depressing would it be if your life was all leading up to a series of these, like... four or five moments in your life and the rest was just filler with a soundtrack in the background? It is way better to think of things like, - yeah. Yesterday sucked and tomorrow might suck, but last week was alright. And maybe next week will be better? Right?

It almost sounded like there was a knock at the door, but Emma couldn't be sure.

"Uhm... is there someone there?"

This time there was definitely like a mumble or something. On the other side of the door.

Maybe she was a bit more buzzed than she thought. In any case she rushed over to where her sweat pants were on the other side of the room before opening the door.

"Oh. Hey." The blonde blinked groggily.

Regina's eyes looked her up and down carefully, confusion written all over her features. "Hello. Is... This is a bad time."

"Not so much a bad time. It's a," Emma shrugged. "It's a time. Is there such thing as a bad time."

"Are you drunk?"

"No."

The mayor's finger pointed curtly to Emma's pants, turning her head as she squinted. "Your hands are in your pants."

Emma looked down and laughed awkwardly to herself and blushed at the same time. If there was a bad time, she was she chose the worst of times to let her hands rest on her thighs inside the legs of her old sweats. "Right." She shrugged again, this time longer. "I'm not... druuuunk. I've been drinking. Ya know - alcohol."

"You smell like a brothel."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

Her mouth dropped. "Absolutely not."

"Sorry." The smile that pulled at the sides of her mouth was impossible to hide. "I'm actually not sorry at all. That was funny."

"It's not even four in the afternoon."

She looked over at the clock. "Damn, already?"

"Yes, how long have you been drinking?"

"A while... This morning."

There was a long pause as Regina kept opening and closing her mouth as if the whole situation was more than she could grasp.

"So what's up?"

"I... no." The brunette shook her head. "I'm sorry, I think I've made a mistake."

"What? What does that even mean? -We didn't sleep together, what mistake?"

"Oh my goodness."

"What are you talking about?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "I was going to say I reconsidered." She looked toward the ground but nodded. "I guess it's right. I have reconsidered. You can leave town whenever you like. Don't feel obligated to come back."

"What the hell?"

Emma rushed out of the hotel room door, grabbing Regina's arm and stopping her.

"Do not touch me!"

"Well, I have things to say."

"I don't have any room to listen. I'm afraid you being drunk in the middle of the afternoon is all the evidence I need to decide my son doesn't need your influence - birth mother or not, he doesn't need that." She snatched her arm away and turned to go again.

But Emma hopped in front of her clumsily, out-stretching her arms. "You're mad at me for being drunk."

"I'm disappointed."

"You're not my mother. I'm an adult, lady - I can drink whenever I want to."

"Of course you can. But I'll be damned if it's around Henry."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I would never do that around him, that would be stupid - you said I had until Thursday, and I'm not a people person, okay?" She shook her head and shifted from foot to foot, trying to sound a bit more sober than she actually was. "I was using my best judgement, and relaxing... making time pass a little faster until Thursday rolled around."

The older woman didn't say anything. Her eyes kept their rather blank stare at the blonde, waiting for her to finish or for her own mind to be swayed one way or the other.

"Look at me - does it look like I was going out and influencing the kid? Or posing a nuisance to the town?" She took a step closer, tilting her head and crossing her arms over her chest. "I bought some booze, and I went back to my room. I haven't been in my car since I started drinking, I promise."

Regina took a moment before reclining her head and letting the scowl fall away from her face completely.

"Do you believe me?"

"Why does it matter what I think?"

Emma frowned. "How does it not?"

Regina glanced at the floor. "You want to see him, then."

"Well... yeah."

"You hesitated."

"Listen, it wasn't really in the plan, but... now that I've thought about him, and seen him," She nodded. "I guess so. I mean, I think it would be cool to see what it is that I popped out and how it's doing. Th- Henry might like it too."

Regina nodded. "He would." Her voice was quieter.

Emma smiled a bit, then relaxed her shoulders. "So, what was it that you.. came over to tell me, anyway?"

"I, actually, was going to ask you to dinner."

"What? But I- I thought-"

"Yes, I wanted to wait, but I've reconsidered asking the therapist with you. I've decided to state my decision to him and allow him to offer guidance as what's the best course as to keep you in the picture as far as Henry's concerned."

"Oh."

"So." Regina smiled a bit, only now noticing the stray hair caught in Emma's eye lashes. She moved it away cautiously, smiling after Emma offered the first smile. "Will you be sober by seven 'o' clock?"

The blonde nodded, though her stomach flipped over and over again with the gesture - one that she was sure the mayor meant absolutely nothing by.

"And please tell me you have something more presentable to wear than _this_." Regina smiled looking toward the blonde's bare feet.

"I guess." She smiled. "I have some extra clothes in my car."

"Alright then. You're officially invited then."

"Okay."

"Don't be late." Regina pointed playfully.

"I'll try my hardest."

The mayor back pedaled toward the stairs after their little wobble turn and waved. "Bu -AH!"

Only her foot caught the edge of the first stair before she was ready. Her throat made a horrible sound, gasping in a quick gulp of hair, reaching at nothing - when Emma's hand caught hers, then her other arm wrapping around the brunette's middle, pulling her back so she was a few steps from the staircase.

And their eyes met, faces inches from one another like that perfect, awful moment in a rom-com when the female lead is rescued from no real danger, though her heart beats like it's about to tear a hole through her sternum. And Regina's chest was definitely feeling that thump - all the way up into her eye sockets as she stared into the blue that brought her right back to when Henry was a baby and his eyes were still crystal and tired-looking.

Emma did her best not to look at Regina's lips, and in her concentration completely disregarding her tango-hold on the other woman.

"You alright?"

Regina nodded, looking down and smiling awkwardly. "Yes." She nodded, letting go of Emma's hand carefully.

Emma smiled at herself with a hint of blush on her cheek. "Good."

"Thanks."

"No problem." She nodded.

Both of their hands went in their pockets at the same time.

"I'll see you later."

Regina nodded. "Goodbye."

This time she took care in watching where she placed her feet on the way down the staircase.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I forgot to say the song Emma was listening to in the last chapter was "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" by Carla Bruni. And the movie was 500 Days of Summer. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. The acting is superb.  
> I love hearing your feedback, and thank you for sharing. Reviews make me smile. You are loved.

Emma took a deep breath and pulled her jacket more into place. Luckily she found a button-up in her trunk and Grannies had an iron in the closet she used to make all the wrinkles go away.

She barely got to ring the doorbell before the door swung open violently.

"Hi."

Emma smiled at the kid's goofy grin. "Hey there. Your mom told you I was coming."

"Yup." He nodded once with the word.

She pointed behind him. "So can I come in."

Henry stepped aside and closed the door behind her. "We're having pasta and garlic bread and mom made mini tamales. It's really good."

"Henry..."

They both stepped into the kitchen as Regina put everything into fancier dishes, and Emma's eyes went straight to the apron, her smile softening into something that resembled nostalgia or a day dream. The brunette was attractive enough in her business attire, and now she could cook and entertain. She was like a super hero with really adorable, domestic powers.

"Yeah, mom."

"Henry, set the table, please." Her eye brows were raised and she tilted her head like every mother Emma had ever seen telling their kid to get something done now.

The little boy almost pranced over to the dishes and smiled again at the blonde before going into the dining room.

"I've told him about eight times, but he's just been standing by the door." Regina's lips turned up at the ends just slightly as she glanced up from transferring the food. "I forgot to ask you if you were allergic to anything."

Emma shook her head, sliding her hands in her pockets. "No - just this one brand of eye drops."

"No one cooks with eye drops."

She shrugged. "Anything - I just gave you an answer."

They smiled at one another before the brunette turned to get the bread out of the oven.

"Do you need help with anything?"

Regina looked around the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron. "I don't think so. Everything is just about ready."

"It smells great." Both of their heads turned as Graham walked in the room, taking off his jacket and kissing Regina's cheek.

She leaned into him just slightly, her smile turning a bit plastic. "You're home early."

"I am." He turned to Emma and extended his hand, which she took politely, though it was harder for her to act comfortable with it after she'd spent all of her time around his girlfriend doing nothing but checking her out. He placed his jacket on the back of one of the chairs on the other side of the island and itched just under the collar of his flannel. "But I brought all of the extra paperwork home with me so I wouldn't have to miss dinner."

"Oh." She nodded. "Henry!"

He stuck his head into the doorway, making his neck long and his eyes wide. "Yeah?"

"Graham's home - would you get another place setting, please?"

Henry's mouth turned into a line, but he nodded and did as she said.

"I'm the Sherrif."

"...'Round these parts?" Emma laughed a bit.

He just turned his head.

"It was supposed to be a joke." She winced a bit. "I'm not really good at them. Sorry."

"No, it's alright."

"Sort of a tension breaker, but a lot of the time it just makes things more awkward."

"Right." He turned toward looked toward Regina, who was carrying one of the fancy plates into the dining room. "I don't know. This whole thing is fairly awkward as it is."

Emma narrowed her gaze.

"You know, you being his birth mother and Regina being his _actual_ mother-"

"Well that's why we're doing this." Regina put her hands on her hips, having to first put down the bread.

"I don't actually think it's so bad." Emma looked between the two of them. "Really it could be a lot worse."

Graham scoffed. "Henry's already calling you his _real mom_ , it's-"

"Could you put this on the table please." Regina interrupted him, pushing the long plate of tamales toward him.

He took them, looking a bit agitated, but kept quiet anyway.

She flashed Emma an apologetic smile before holding out the wine glasses. "Would you mind?"

The blonde shook her head, "Not at all."

She walked into the dining room and her eyebrows shot up. "Damn."

"The swear jar is over there." Henry pointed at the table against the wall under what looked like a very expensive painting. And the 'jar' he was referring to was a very decorative blue vase, though on the shorter side.

Emma put the glasses down and shook her head. "Damn isn't a cuss word."

"Yeah it is."

"No it's not. If they use it in church it's not a swear word."

"Do you have a church that you go to?" Regina asked.

Emma shook her head. "Oh - no. No, I've just lived a lot of places they made me go."

"..Oh." She set the serving utensils in their respective dishes before sitting down. "What does that mean? -Lived a lot of places?"

Everyone started to sit down and Emma followed suit, scooting up to the table and putting a napkin on her lap, watching Henry carefully for what to do. "I-uhm. I was in the foster care system for most of my childhood." She looked at the kid and tried to sound matter of fact. "My parents gave me up too."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"So, it's like a tradition?"

Emma laughed as the other two adults looked at him uncomfortably. "Not really. Or.. maybe?" She looked toward Regina, hoping it was alright she explained a bit. "I don't know why I was.. given up. But I was really young when I had you, and I didn't make enough money to get an apartment on my own or anything. So I thought it was better that I made sure you had a better place to live, and a family who could take care of you. I knew if I kept you, I wouldn't be able to see you very much because I would have to work a lot, and even then I wouldn't be able to afford very much food or clothes or anything."

Henry almost looked like he understood, or at least like he was slowly processing through it.

She took a deep breath and looked back over at his mother who nodded gently.

"So where are you from?" Graham asked, starting to serve himself.

"Actually, all over New York. I know I was put into the system in Long Island, and I got shifted around a lot. It wasn't always fun, but I'm familiar with a lot now."

"And you felt comfortable putting your own child into that system."

Regina shook her head. "This isn't an interrogation, you can't just question her-"

"It's fine." Emma shrugged. "I made sure Henry wasn't going to be in foster care. I didn't sign my rights over until I knew there was a forever-home for him. And I opened up the adoption to out-of-state parents too, so he'd have a better chance of finding a place sooner."

Graham nodded, but Regina's eyes softened looking at the other woman.

"So why did you pick Regina?"

Emma shook her head. "I didn't pick her. I decided on a closed adoption. I didn't know anything about who he was going to and.. well, I thought he wouldn't be able to find out about me."

"Why?"

She turned to the little boy and sighed, remembering back to all of the steps she took and how scared she was. "I-" She cut herself off and looked at Regina again, who was no closer to getting herself any food - her hands tucked neatly under her chin with her elbows on the edge of the table. "I was going to tell you that I wanted to give you your best chance. Which I did- but that's only part of it. I was scared. Really scared. I... I was just a kid, but not a good one, not like you. I made a lot of stupid decisions and I was really sure you'd be better off not knowing who I was."

"What did you do?"

Emma gave him a lop-sided smile. "I'll tell you what I didn't do, and that was listen to anyone. And it got me in some trouble once or twice."

"Like what-"

"I'll tell you later. Like a couple years later if you're lucky."

" _If_ you're lucky." Regina winked at her son.

Emma thanked Graham for the serving spoon and began dishing herself up. "What about you?"

Regina raised her eyebrows.

"Why did you decide to adopt? Can you have kids or...?"

"I can, I just knew there were a lot of children who needed homes that were already born." Her eyes went to Henry for a moment, warmth all through her gaze. "But I wasn't in a relationship to get pregnant anyway. But I did want a baby. I felt I was ready to be a mother. I finished college and when I moved back home I was elected mayor within the first year. It'd been a year or so and I felt comfortable in my ability to provide for a child and pay bills - all of that. So, I found an agency a few towns over, and about three months in, I got a call that there was this newborn from New York needed a home as soon as possible, and I told them I would absolutely take him." She looked back at her son, her smile growing more. "And I got the most handsome, smart, funny little boy I could have ever hoped for."

"Hold on - you graduated college and were mayor before you adopted Henry?" Emma squinted.

"Yes."

She shook her head. "So you were... you had to be at least twenty two, twenty four?"

"I was twenty five." She nodded.

Emma just stared. "You're thirty five? Are you shitting me?"

Regina started to smile but straightened up and flashed her eyes at Henry.

"You owe me a dollar, now."

"SHHHHHhhh," Emma shook her head. "You're kidding me - you look younger than I am."

Her face flushed a little but Regina laughed. "Thank you."

"You said the S-word!"

Emma rolled her eyes and dug in her pocket, pulling out a twenty and not actually caring. "You can keep the rest - advance payments, I'm sure. Don't you give this kid an allowance or something?"

"No." Henry took the bill grinning.

"I pay him for his grades."

Emma nodded. "That's really cool - I bet it gets you to keep your grades up."

"He has wonderful grades." Regina smiled.

"Although I told her it sets up an unrealistic expectation for the future."

Regina's eyes went down to her plate, lips pursed as though her opinion was somehow barricaded in that way.

"How?"

Graham straightened his tie and sat up a bit straighter. "Well in the real world, we're paid monthly, almost always constant if you put in the same hours. Being rewarded for specific grades isn't exactly teaching preparing him for a job."

"He's ten, though..."

"Don't get me wrong, I would understand if it was just for report cards, I think that would correlate a little better-"

"I pay him at report cards and any major tests at the end of a unit." Regina looked at Emma, interrupting her boyfriend on purpose.

Henry nodded and tried to talk through his noodles. "I get twenty bucks-"

"Henry." Regina shook her head.

He finished his bite and continued. "Twenty bucks for an A, ten for a B, and then mom says a C or lower shows poor effort."

"I think that's really cool." She shrugged and swirled her fork to gather her pasta.

"I'm sure Henry likes it but I stand by my opinion - that's not the way real jobs work."

Emma shook her head. "That's the way mine works." She looked from Regina to the kid with a little jump of her eyebrow.

"What is it that you do?" He took more bread from the middle of the table - the bigger pieces.

"I'm a bail bondsperson."

"What's that?"

"Henry." Regina raised her voice a bit. "Please, stop talking with your mouth full."

Emma almost smiled but saw the look on the Grahams face, like he was thinking the same thing, but far more irritated. For christ sake, he was only a kid. Being obnoxious for a while is part of how they find themselves. It was Regina's job to remind him, which she was doing correctly - he didn't need to do anything. Douche bag.

"She's a bounty hunter."

She squinted at the scruffy man. "Not really."

Henry swallowed and scooted up in his chair. "What do bail bond people do?"

"Well... I kinda catch bad guys."

"Like a super hero?"

Regina grinned, taking in the exchange silently.

Graham shook his head. "Like Dog, the Bounty Hunter."

Henry's face lit up, but Emma had to stop him. "No, no.. it's not that exciting. What happens is - actually. Do you know what happens when someone is arrested for something?"

He shook his head.

"Okay, so when someone is arrested, sometimes there are charges filed against them - that means the government decides they need to be punished for whatever they did - they have to go to court. But before that they have to wait. Usually they have to wait in jail unless they can pay money to wait at home until they can go to court. Does that make sense so far?"

Henry nodded, gnawing on a piece of garlic bread.

"Is this appropriate dinner conversation?"

She was sure he didn't mean it as a question, but Regina turned to him anyway. "I think it's interesting. And Henry wanted to know what she did - I'm sorry." She turned back to Emma, unable to shake the irritation from her voice. "Continue."

"Uhm, okay.. I am the person who helps them pay so they can go home until their court date. But, if they don't show up for court then I have to go and get them, and they stay in jail until the next court date." She turned to the other adults at the table and started addressing everyone. "Basically, I get paid for helping put up money, and I get all the money back in a few months anyway - and then I get paid again if I have to turn the guy in. It's almost exactly like the grades thing."

"What agency do you work for?"

Emma squared her jaw, getting a bit tired of the constant berating. "I work independently."

"You must have a lot of cash lying around then."

"I'm stable. I'm not a big spender, and I know what my job entails. But I didn't pick doing this job because I wanted to be swimming in cash, I picked it because it works for my skill set and I get to make my own hours for the most part."

"For the most part."

She put her fork down and folded her hands in her lap. "What is it that you do Graham?"

He cocked his head to the side a bit and Regina straightened up in her chair, clearing her throat. "He's the Sheriff here."

"Fun. You work for your girlfriend."

"Fiance, actually."

Regina's face dropped, as did Emma's stomach.

"What?" Henry looked between the two cautiously.

The brunette started to rub her temples. "Graham."

"What?"

She glared at him for a moment before sighing and turning back to Henry. "Honey, we were going to wait to tell you until we set a date."

"You're getting married?"

Regina nodded slowly, trying to smile.

It took all of half a second for Henry to settle on his scowl and throw his fork on the table as he leapt off of his chair and ran toward the staircase.

"Regina-"

"Don't." She cut him off, closing her eyes and resting her forehead in her hands.

Emma sat there not knowing what the fuck to do. She just watched Graham's fork push pasta around his plate.

"Should I go check on him."

"No." She shook her head and looked at Emma for a moment, somewhere between embarrassed and apologetic. "I do think that maybe you should take that paperwork back to the station for a while, though."

He looked over at their guest before turning more toward Regina, his back to the blonde. "It's not that big of a deal, I could-"

She didn't say anything. A turn of the head and looking him in the eye for a moment or two was all it took for him to drop his head, then stand up, tossing his napkin on his chair. He walked over to Emma and stuck his hand out again. "It was nice to meet you."

Emma gave him a look akin to the one Regina had just given him, only a bit more guarded, shaking his hand firmly.

As he walked through the kitchen and out the door Regina just watched.

After the door closed Regina's eyes went to the table, either not knowing what to say or how to end the silence in a soft way.

Instead Emma went for the balls of the moment, filling her fork and taking another bite, then smiling. "Your food is awesome."

Immediately she smiled, a small laugh bubbling from the back of her throat.

"No, really - it's restaurant quality. And your dishes are super nice." She nodded.

"How do you do that?"

Emma smiled back. "Do what?"

"Find that punch line- that thing to say, you know. It just..." She shrugged, leaning back and sighing. "It makes the air a little easier to breathe - especially after that monstrosity of a dinner."

"After? It's over?" Emma looked at her plate. "I'm not even like, halfway through."

Regina laughed again, though her smile started to slip away after a moment.

"Congratulations, by the way."

The older woman raised her eye brows.

"On the engagement."

"Oh. Right - thank you." She stood up and started to clear the dishes from the table.

Emma followed suit, not thinking twice about helping.

"You don't have to do that." Regina shook her head.

Emma just shrugged. "I know I don't _have_ to - but I don't think your helper is in much of a mood."

All Regina did was nod, and accept the help with a smile. "You can take as much food with you as you want."

"Oh shit, lady - don't offer me that."

"Why not?"

Emma laughed. "I can put it _away_."

"...No... that's alright. You're a guest, you-"

"No - no, I meant... I can _eat_. Like I can put it away. In my stomach."

"Oh. That makes more sense."

"I just say things and hope people laugh most of the time. Thinking about if they make sense or not is usually not really a thing."

"I'll try to remember that." She laughed a bit. "I'm still going to send most of this with you."

"Fine." Emma leaned on the island. "But I'm blaming you if I get fat."

Regina looked her up and down with an _'oh please,'_ look. "I'm doubtful that's a possibility."

She started getting out plastic containers and grumbling about lids before she started shoveling food into them, then putting the empty dishes in the sink and filling it with water. All of it just made Emma stare. She'd lived with a lot of people who did all of the things she was doing right now, cleaning, and handling food and being a mom. But none of them did it with that kind of grace. It was weird, but not the kind of weird that made you cringe. The kind that made you smile just a little bit to yourself.

The blonde walked over and opened the dish washer, standing beside the older woman and taking dishes from her as she rinsed and wiped them off.

Regina knew this time Emma wouldn't sit and just be a guest, so she handed her the plate. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." She shrugged. Then she looked back at her - deadpanning. "No. I'm serious. Don't say anything about me doing something this feminine it will ruin my rebel's reputation."

"Oh, then I'll guard this information with my life."

"I don't ever cook anything. I make food by pressing buttons. And I eat it with my bare hands."

"How very cave-woman of you."

"It's because I'm hardcore."

Regina chuckled. "At least I know where Henry's supreme laziness stems from now."

"Oh shit - you're using me as a scape goat!"

"I am not!"

Emma put her hand to her chest, pretending to be offended. "You'd blame me for your failure as a parent."

"Excuse me?"

"Nurture, lady - not nature this time."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, not knowing how to continue their teasing until Emma let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry by, the way... for being all snappy with Graham."

"To be fair, he wasn't exactly pleasant with you."

"That wasn't just me feeling that? You noticed, right?"

Regina nodded. "It takes him a minute to warm up to people. But he's thoughtful... and he's been wonderful to me."

"That's good." She sighed, hating herself for the little pit that hit the bottom of her stomach. "How'd you guys meet?"

"Actually we went to high school together. Or - well, we went to the same high school. I was a senior when he was a sophomore so we didn't ever talk. But when I came back to town he wasn't much more outgoing, but everyone in town loved him. Then becoming Mayor, we have to have meetings together every so often."

"Ooooooooo. Work place romance." She rolled her eyes.

Regina shook her head. "No, it's funny. It wasn't until Henry was about five that we'd been anything but professional. He's attractive - I could see that, but I wasn't interested in a relationship until I was sitting by myself watching my son become his own person and I was all alone. And there Graham was. With all of the support and attention I'd missed focusing school, and we fell in love."

 _Fell in love_. Emma just smiled back.

"I'm sorry. I guess it's not very interesting."

"No, it's just that I can't relate. Like, at all." Emma shrugged.

"You've never been in love." Regina pretended to swoon, hand over forehead and all.

Emma took the dish from her. "No."

"Not even close?"

"No. Love was always something I saw stupid people have, so I thought it was stupid too."

There was a little pause before Emma turned back to her.

"I don't think you're stupid." She said quickly. "I didn't mean- I just- I-you know... Sorry. I've always been a little bit of a pessimist."

"It's okay." The older woman shrugged it off with an understanding that seemed a bit out of place.

Emma sighed at herself.

Regina grabbed the dish towel and dried her hands, offering it to the blonde before getting a bag for the left-overs.

She pointed at the bag. "Thanks for those-"

"It's not any inconvenience. I cook every night - the boys won't miss it." She led the way to the door after handing Emma the bag.

"Every night?"

Regina nodded. "I do."

Emma stepped outside and turned around. "Okay, let's break all of that down. You're the Mayor."

"I am."

"And you're a mom."

"Yes."

"Aaaaand you manage a relationship."

"That too."

"And you cook every night?"

The brunette smiled and crossed her arms, leveling her stare.

Emma shoved her hands in her pockets. "Is there anything you can't do. You're making me feel pretty inadequate over here."

"Okay, miss bounty hunter."

"Hey - only sometimes. It doesn't always come to that."

Regina laughed, letting it lull to a soft hum before she leaned against the door frame. "Thank you for helping with dishes."

"No - you gave me food, it's the least I can do." Emma pointed upstairs. "Besides, it doesn't seem like your helper was in much of a mood."

She looked up, her face not holding much of an expression. "Yeah. I'm not entirely sure what to do about that."

"Is there really something to _do_?"

"If Graham and I are going to get married, I think it's a requirement they at least get along."

"Maybe it's just a little jealousy? He's not getting you to himself anymore?"

Regina let her hand slide through her hair. "Maybe. I... I don't know. I think I spend more of my time reprimanding the two of them than just enjoying them."

There was a little silence that passed between them. Not uncomfortable, but filled with words and thoughts that weren't developed and questions that may not have answers. But Emma reached for one anyway.

"Are you happy?"

The brunettes eyes looked far away for a moment, and even when she started to nod it was accompanied by a frown. "I think so."

"You think?"

Emma knew she was pushing it. This conversation had turned from Henry, and Regina was a mom first. That was about the easiest thing to see.

And yet, she just sighed. "It's getting late. I have to be at work early in the morning."

The blonde nodded. "Right. I'm sorry - have a good rest of your night."

"Emma.." Regina stepped down from the door and changed her tone, much more cautious. "Before you go, could I ask what your plans are?"

"Plans?"

"If you're staying in town a bit longer or if you're going back to the city."

Emma looked around for a second and shrugged. "I thought I'd stick around for a minute. Figure out where I'll stay when I visit."

"I have quest bedrooms."

"Oh."

Regina smiled nervously. "If you want to. It's just an option."

"I appreciate it, I just think it might blur some boundary lines for the kid. I definitely want to keep myself separate."

"Right." She looked just like Henry did at the table - trying her hardest to understand.

"I want you to stay mom and me to stay Emma."

"But you want to keep in touch."

"Of course."

Emma's grin grew with the other woman's. She hated feeling like she just wanted to grab her and slow dance her into the night and drink wine and go on a carriage ride and all that bullshit. It was infatuation, but shit - did it have to be so intense? Like, she had to have something unattractive about her.

"I'm glad to hear that."

She just tried to smile back through all of the ridiculous pictures in her brain of dumb romantic things.

"Drive safe, Emma." Regina turned and stepped in the house.

Just as the door was about to close Emma stepped closer. "Regina..."

She stood with her brows raised.

"If you're not really happy, it's not worth it." Emma took a deep breath - her heart pounding like she had anything to be nervous about. "Just being comfortable is dumb. If you're not happy, then Henry will be able to feel it because he knows you. And later on it'll be messy... I just." She looked at the ground and kicked at nothing. "It's not my business, but I thought I should say something. Now I think I should just keep my mouth shut always but-"

"I think it's brave." Regina smiled a bit, not as bright as before, though. "And I'll keep that in mind."

Emma nodded, allowing herself to relax just a bit. "Tell Henry goodnight for me."

Regina nodded. "I will."

"Okay..." She back pedaled down to the walk way, waving weakly. "Night."

"Goodnight."


	5. Chapter 5

Regina kept staring up at the ceiling as though something would pop out and tell her what to do.

From the moment Emma left, all she could think about was what she said. How she said it. How she looked at her so honestly and offered her this wisdom that hadn't even crossed her mind.

Content.

Thinking on it, she didn't even know if she was. She'd spent so much time worrying and fixing and trying so hard to make everything work that she didn't bother to think if all of it amounted to happiness, or even being content. It didn't occur to her that all of the craziness wouldn't just dissolve itself into oblivion once they were married, or once Henry and Graham finally had that moment where they finally understood each other. All she thought about was getting to tomorrow, hopefully with a few smiles.

But smiles weren't simply given freely around her home anymore. Except for tonight. When they were doing dishes, or talking... or anything. She'd never really had any friends that were women - maybe it was just nice, and different to have her around.

In any case, Regina's mind had been spinning in the same few threads for hours now. She tried to twist her ring on her finger, still not used to actually wearing it, but it was a little tight. She remembered laughing and nodding as Graham got up off of his knee, saying he got it a half a size small so she wouldn't lose it like all of her other jewelry. And before tonight she didn't think anything of the fact he didn't notice she didn't wear much jewelry, and when she did it was the same few pieces. She didn't lose any, it was simply that she didn't own very much in the first place. Money could be spent on more important things.

Her head turned gently, looking at the half naked man in her bed and wondering if she was making the right decision.

But they'd been so happy - it'd been one of the easiest relationships she had until Henry found out. Maybe it was because she could easily budget her time between the two of them instead of the three going on outings together. It had become harder and harder to find alone time for either, even when cutting it off almost altogether with herself.

She sighed heavily and rolled over, putting her cheek and her hand on Graham's shoulder.

He shifted a bit and Regina began to smile as his arms wrapped around her.

But he squeezed for a second before turning over on his stomach.

Once again, the brunette scooted closer, draping an arm over his back but he moved it away almost immediately with a grunt. "It's too hot."

His voice was gruff with sleep, but it stung anyway.

"Then take some of the blankets off." She whispered.

He sighed and turned his face toward her, not opening his eyes. "I'm comfortable."

"I'm not."

"Give it a minute."

Regina ripped the blankets from her side of the bed and put her pajama bottoms on.

"Regina-"

"I'm getting a glass of water, would you like anything?"

He rolled over again, clearing his throat and putting his hands to his head. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Your accent is ridiculous."

She walked out of the room quickly, closing the door behind her and stopping at the top of the staircase.

What right did she have anyway? Coming into her life so abruptly and saying these stupid things that kept her up all night long and made her go insane. Who did that? Especially not the birth mother of her son - just sauntering in to their home and acting like she'd always been there... fitting in without even trying. Making them laugh.. and being so selfless as to put her life on hold because Henry wanted to know her.

Regina looked at Henry's door, not knowing if he knew just what he did by finding this woman.

It wasn't about her. Regina had to think about what was best for him, not if Emma being present would continue to throw a wrench in things.

"As if they were going so smoothly before..." She whispered to herself.

The brunette opened Henry's door quietly, smiling at seeing the little boy in his pajamas and comics laying all around him. She cleaned quickly and quietly, putting everything in it's own place before sitting next to him.

As soon as his mattress shifted, the little boy turned and wrapped his arm over Regina's thigh.

She didn't understand the tears coming to her eyes, but let them fall. Without a second thought she pulled the blankets back as gently as she could, slipping underneath the covers with her son and holding him close.

* * *

Shit.

Emma woke up yawning, wishing she could go back to sleep, and immediately after wondering how Henry woke up. If he was like her in any way, and what he liked to eat for breakfast. And then breakfast made her think of Regina in pajamas and that apron again, and how she would love to just sit with them and wake up peacefully in the morning and get ready for the day. Maybe go to a normal job and pop out a few more babies, or adopt from Nigeria or Oregon or wherever Regina wanted to.

And she knew she was in too deep. For Christ sake, back in New York she barely knew six people by name not including the bikini barista she frequented – now all that crossed her mind was a good dose of home-wrecking and then starting a family with two of the three said residents in said home. Not that she would, but she would sure as hell think about it, if only for the images.

The left overs in the mini-fridge did nothing to stop that either, but having them around was awesome. Having breakfast that wasn't made specifically in the microwave was cool. And by the time Emma got around to heading to the diner, she was happily stuffed, asking for a coffee to-go.

"No hot coco?"

Emma shook her head, willing herself to keep eye contact with the younger woman. What about her job description required her to wear these kind of prostitute-y clothes in her grandmother's diner.

"You know I could make that to-go, too."

"Nah, I think today is a coffee day."

Ruby shrugged and turned over the mug waiting in front of her. "What do you like in it?"

"Black is fine – I might add a little sweetener."

"Speaking of sweetener…" She raced to put the pot back and came back with a little yellow sticky note. "The mayor might want a little sugar later."

Emma gulped. "What?"

The waitress tapped the paper with Regina's name on it and the number to her cell phone, the house and her office.

"It's not like that-"

"Not on the week days, or not at all?" She squinted.

The blonde shoved the yellow scrap into her pocket and angrily shook sugar packets into her coffee. "It's nothing… like at all. I'm not even here for her- I mean not really. She wasn't…" Emma took a deep breath, knowing her face would be glowing by now. "It's not your business but we aren't doing anything."

"But you want to."

Emma rolled her eyes. "No I don't!"

"Oh, please. You pinged my gay-dar so hard I'm still vibrating."

"That's pathetic." Emma pointed at her. "Don't use a line from Will and Grace on me. I swear to god I will call every single one of them out."

Ruby smiled. "But you are gay, right?"

"That's-"

"Not my business, I know! It never is, yet I still know everything that happens in this sleepy old town."

Emma sighed and played with her spoon in her coffee. "Sure, something like that."

"Like bi?"

"Like... sort of an equal opportunity... friend with benefits."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I don't really care? Dudes are boring, but they're still good for… one thing, right? And-"

"And girls are hot, and interesting."

"Sure."

Ruby pulled up her own stool on the other side of the counter. "Why are you so shy?"

"I just don't like people in my business. And I don't like waving a flag around or wearing rainbows all the time – it's not like that's the only thing about me, or the thing you should learn first when you meet someone, it's stupid and obnoxious.. So, my name is Emma, and I'll probably be coming and going from now on and that's all anyone needs to know."

"Okay." She raised her hands in surrender. "Anything else I can get for you?"

"Yeah – a to-go cup."

Ruby rolled her eyes, but did what was asked of her, topping it off after she poured the contents of the mug into it.

"Thank you." She took it and threw a few bills on the table before leaving.

The only thing she got in her car for was her sunglasses, then Emma decided on strolling down streets until she ran into some place that looked like she could buy underwear in case she stayed an extra night. Though the crumpling in her pocket led her to put the numbers in her phone rather than do much looking around. She flipped through the numbers, a sinking feeling happening when she realized they were the only ones with a specific name attached to them other than the guy who she paid her rent to. And she didn't even know his first name.

Emma settled on Regina's cell before opening a new text message.

_-Where are cheap apartments around here?-_

Not a moment later her hand buzzed obnoxiously.

- _Who is this?_ -

- _Do you usually give your number out to random people? It's Emma-_

- _Hello. I can help you look on my lunch hour. Could you be at my office at noon?-_

_-Sure, where is it?-_

_-Follow Main until you see the big white building.-_

Emma grinned.

_-Thank you for explaining it to me so my inferior intellect can understand ;) –_

There was a longer pause, this time.

- _No problem :P-_

Emma laughed at her phone screen, her fingers tingling, wanting to write back, but she didn't have to. Her phone buzzed again.

_-I had to look up what that face was and I found more on the internet.-_

_-I've officially broadened your horizons.-_

_-Don't flatter yourself, Miss Swan.-_

* * *

About an hour into talking about nothing, Emma was about a step and a half from being completely in love with the lipstick stains on Regina's coffee cup. She kept pointing at little red dots on the map of the town and telling her about each place - only two actual apartment buildings, and not a ton to chose from as far as living arrangements went.

Then Regina's face lit up before she started shaking her head. "I'm such an idiot."

"What?" Emma smiled again, her head resting on her knuckles peacefully.

"Henry's teacher is getting ready to move out of her apartment - she's moving into a house she's buying and it would be perfect." She turned the screen and typed for a second, and a few clicks later she showed her this cozy little loft place. "What do you think?"

Emma nodded. "I think it looks like a home."

"You say that like it's a negative."

"No, no... I've just... I've never lived in a place like that. I haven't lived anywhere for more than a year at a time."

The brunette turned the monitor back and started working again. "Why?" Her eyes not peering up from the screen.

"I have a habit of not getting too comfortable."

Her hands stilled for a moment but she didn't look up.

"Not that I plan on doing that now."

"It's alright."

"No it's not." Emma crossed her arms on the desk and laid her head on top of them, looking sideways at Regina. "I'm not just going to run out on him. The more I think about him, the more I want to figure out what it is my role to him is. I think him showing up what on purpose."

Regina smiled. "You do?"

"Yeah..." She sighed for a second, and thought if she should even share - but between the look in Regina's eye and the way she was sure she was looking back, Emma tilted her head and looked at paperwork she had no idea the purpose of. "Henry came and found me on my birthday. And not two seconds after I made a wish on this stupid little cupcake I bought myself."

It seemed like there was quiet for a long time, then Regina leaned forward and let her eyes go a little hazy. "What did you wish for."

Emma laughed. "I..." She rolled her head so it sat upright on her arms. "I wished I didn't have to be alone on my birthday."

White teeth peered at her from behind the shade of purple covering Regina's lips that were slowly arcing into a crescent shape.

"Me of all people, who's done nothing but strive for solitude and building up walls... and there he was, ready to drink all of my orange juice and have me be a part of his life."

"He's something special."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, he is. He didn't... like, have any spite or anything for me giving him up. And I don't think he overlooked it, either. I think he just honestly didn't care."

"It never really bothered him." Regina offered. "I got him in therapy as a precaution because I read that so many adopted children have trouble with posing that awful question to themselves; why wasn't I wanted."

"And he never did that, did he."

"Never." Regina shook her head.

"Because you wanted him."

She smiled again, this time a bit more strained, like tears were going to spill if she wasn't careful.

Then a noise came from the computer and Regina moved her mouse, clicking before there was a different smile. "Ms. Blanchard just emailed me back - she says she's moving this weekend and starting to show her apartment next weekend."

"Okay."

Regina sighed and folded her arms. "Would you like to come back then and see it then?"

"Do I have to wait that long to come visit again?"

"No." Regina looked down as her grin widened. "Not if you don't want to."

"I don't."

Their eyes stayed trained on one another for a long moment before Regina leaned forward on her elbows, tilting her head to the side. And even though they were across the desk from one another, she could just see herself moving a hair away from the other woman's lips and letting her decide if she wanted to make that jump or not. But she stayed, gazing up at this person who was disgustingly attractive, and did nothing.

"It makes me a bit nervous that you're so sure of this."

"Me too." She admitted, hating the tenderness in both of their voices. It definitely made it harder to try and keep all the stupid feelings at bay.

Regina kept looking at her like she was searching for something. "Then why not take it slow- step by step until you're absolutely sure Henry can count on you to be there."

"Because if I give myself the option, I think I'll convince myself he's better without me again." Emma nodded carefully, sitting back up and tucking her hands beneath her thighs. "And I think I need this a little bit too. I mean, I'm going to be thirty in a couple of years.. which I hear is a milestone or something. And I've never had anything that resembled a commitment other than bills. I think I could do some of growing up."

"Taking on the responsibility of a child will definitely force adulthood on someone."

"But it's good, right?" Emma smiled at her toes, not understanding her openness with this woman. Even if she was stupid hot. "It's like finding another part of yourself."

"It's like growing." Regina's mom voice peered out behind the soft expression on her face - Emma could tell she knew that she had to be delicate. "Everyone says when you look at your baby you realize things about the world that you couldn't ever see before. I think we see all of those things, because I think women are painfully aware of what we have and what we don't most of the time. I just think motherhood... is a choice that makes us understand more about appreciation and love. When you allow yourself the opportunity, to love another thing with every bit of what you are, the world doesn't change, and the things you saw before don't change. The world is all the same, but the _way_ in which you see it is different. Like you've grown a few inches."

Emma sniffed and started to blink tears away. "Well, shit."

The brunette just laughed and turned to her computer again, and typed away until Emma could compose herself. And by the time she dared to glance back, her face was still a bit red but she'd been able to replace that easy nonchalance in her demeanor.

"Would you like to come with me to pick Henry up from school? So you could tell him the good news."

Emma nodded, feeling her eyes start to burn again. "Yeah... that'd be cool." She laughed at herself even though she'd like nothing more than to bang her head against the wall. "Isn't he a still couple hours from getting out, though."

"Yes. So why don't we go get some lunch?"

"Yeah?"

Regina made a few more clicks before standing up. "Well, we have to eat, don't we?"

Emma stood as well, pushing in her chair and shoving her hands in her pockets. "Does everyone crumble to tears around you?"

"Oh, hardly." She pulled her purse over her shoulder. "Usually people are find me either incredibly intimidating or a terrible bitch."

"Geez, Tarantino - how about you calm down the language."

Regina walked rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. It's strange - the second I ran for mayor everyone changed their opinion of me. Not that I cared, I was the only one qualified for the position and I don't mind being the most intelligent person in the room, but others do, apparently."

"Confidence can be off-putting at times. People can just think it's arrogance."

"I don't think it's that. I knew people wouldn't know what to do with a woman as mayor, and if I wanted to be taken seriously I would have to be stern and state exactly what I thought as plainly as I thought it, and stay firm in where I stood on my opinions. And I think people are both afraid and resentful of that fact."

"Either way - I think you're doing a pretty good job. Everything I've seen so far is running smoothly." Emma held the door open.

"Thank you." She said to both the courtesy and the complement. "I try - it's not always appreciated, or when it is it's not often, but I see my own efforts and I don't need anyone else to validate me."

"That's a hell of a lot more than most people."

"I'd imagine you feel somewhat similarly." She wrapped her scarf around her neck before they ventured outside. Emma furrowed her brow and Regina shrugged. "Well, your career is fairly thankless, but you must be good at it - you can afford two apartments."

"I don't really want a 'thank you' from anyone. I usually-"

"Keep everyone at arms length, right." Regina nodded. "Somehow it's just a little hard for me to believe."

"How?"

Regina squinted against the sun. "I'm not sure. I suppose it's that... I feel so comfortable around you? As though you-you're just.. familiar in some strange way." She shrugged, "It's odd. I would have thought our relationship would be much more strained than it is."

Emma kept looking at the pavement pass under her feet. "Yeah, with the whole real mom, whatever stuff. I'll talk to Henry about it too, if you think that's okay."

"Sure, I wouldn't mind."

The blonde stopped dead in her tracks and turned. "Could we not go to Grannies? I'm not feeling it right now."

Regina looked around, as if a new cafe would open up in front of her. "Well, we could just pick up something from the grocery store - fruit... or something. Sit around at the park and eat."

 _Yeah, that doesn't sound like a date at all._ Emma felt her stomach tighten. "...yeah. Okay."

They crossed the street more carelessly than Emma could ever remember, feeling ridiculously out of place somewhere there wasn't constant traffic to dodge through. But Picking up a bag of carrots and a couple of pre-made salads were a hell of a lot better than dealing with the smirk and wiggling eyebrows Emma was sure Ruby would throw at her and Regina if they ate there again.

"You know, this is the most I've seen anyone in years." Emma commented, straddling the bench as she readied her food.

"Really?"

She nodded.

Regina looked at her for a long moment before speaking again. "Could I ask why it is you choose to keep to yourself?"

Emma took a breath. "Uhm... ya know, I think it's a mix of things. I mean, I don't trust anyone as far as I can throw them, just... personal experience says not to. But I guess it has to do with years of being forced to share space with like six kids I didn't know, and most of the time kids who had worse attitude problems than I did. After a while I just liked being alone better than with anyone else."

"Right." Her tone was light, not hiding very well she thought there was more behind it, not that she was invasive enough to dig for it.

But letting unsaid things hang in the air was way less awkward than sharing all the pain she'd endured and then in turn ignored in adulthood. She refused to be one of those women who decided her life was going to be about her suffering and making others feel sorry for her. Things happened - so what. And things will keep happening, and most of the time you won't like them or want to change something, but it's not always in your control.

"Regina!"

Emma whipped around, seeing an older woman pick up her pace with a wide, practiced smile coming toward them.

"Darling, I was just on my way to your office."

She turned back to look at Regina, who's eyebrows were raised as she fought for a smile, wiping the corners of her mouth.

And the brunette had almost found it as she stood up rigidly. "Hello, Mother."


	6. Chapter 6

"I thought you were taking your vacation for another week."

"I was, but really how much bridge can you play before you want to jump off the nearest cliff?" She laughed.

Emma looked between the two, wondering how they could talk the exact same way... only her mom was a lot more icy. Or so it seemed.

Regina smiled and gestured to Emma. "Mother, this is Emma Swan."

"Hey." She stood up and stuck her hand out.

"Cora Mills." She shook the blonde's hand daintily, narrowing her eyes just enough to make her feel like she absolutely thought she was better than her.

"Emma is Henry's birth mother."

Immediately her eyebrows shot to the top of her forehead. "Birth mother."

"I mean you could call me Emma. But yeah." She smiled sheepishly and shoved another baby carrot into her mouth.

"What do you mean birth mother? When did this happen?"

"This?"

Regina frowned. "Henry ran away a few-"

"He ran away!" Cora's eyes went wide. "You didn't call me? What if something had happened- Regina, I could have helped."

"It was only for a few hours, I called, I made a report. I did all the right things to find him on my own."

The older woman opened her mouth, but glanced at Emma and shut it again promptly.

"He found out who she was and where she lived, then went after her."

"So why is she here now?"

Emma rolled her eyes. _Am I here? You're fucking yapping about me like I'm just an idea._

Regina's shoulders visibly slumped. "Henry's already met her now. I didn't think it would be right to forbid her from his life, especially since he's so attached to the idea of knowing her."

"It's not something for him to decide, Regina."

"I know that. But I didn't decide on a whim - Emma..." She looked at the blonde and promptly took a step back, including her in the circle. "I've talked with her, and she came over for dinner. I wouldn't go as far to say we are the very best of friends, but so far I find her trust-worthy. And she's wonderful with him."

Cora looked at her and Emma just shoved her hands in her pockets, a mannerism Regina was beginning to place in the blonde's personality. "I wouldn't be here if she didn't think it was alright. I respect the fact she's his mom. I just... ya know, I got pregnant, and I figure even if I gave him up, I still owe him the chance to get to see me if he wants to."

"I simply don't see how this can end well." She shook her head. "I'm sure you're a fine person.. in general, but- Regina, can't you see this is an awful idea?"

"I don't. I think Henry wanted to know who she was and where he came from, and if I were to tell him he couldn't see her, he would only resent me for it and go to find her again later. But I'm cooperating and allowing visitation. I'm not giving her free reign, I'm still his mother and we've started to work out the boundaries there will be for their relationship and her role in his life."

"So you've already made your decision."

Regina nodded. "Yes."

"Fine then." She looked at Emma once again, sighing heavily. "I suppose I should get used to you in my grandson's life, then?"

"I mean, I guess."

"You guess?"

Emma shrugged. "As long as Regina's alright with it."

"Well. Then I suppose it's only right to invite you to Sunday brunch." Her smile was small and obligatory.

"You don't have to, no. But, I-"

"If you don't want you, don't come. That's fine." She said as a smug grin showed up.

"I didn't say I didn't want to. If you're inviting me out of feeling like you _need_ to or because you want to put me under a microscope then I probably won't go." She glanced over at Regina who looked shocked and horrified at her words, but speaking her mind was more than a habit at this point. "But if you want to use it to get to know me and show your support for Henry, then I would absolutely _love_ to come to Sunday brunch."

Emma could almost see the anger shooting out of Cora's ears like a cartoon.

"I see."

She just smiled and stood there, waiting for her to offer again or not.

"Emma, I think it would be better if we waited a while - get Henry used to you being in his life first, before we start incorporating you in family events."

She nodded enthusiastically, if only to get under the other woman's skin more. "I think that's a great idea." Emma turned her grin to the older of the three.

Cora's nostrils flared and she pulled out a few small packages, passing them over to Regina as she took a calculated step forward, once again leaving the blonde slightly out of the loop. "Gifts - for you, Graham, and Henry as labeled. Give them my love." She leaned in and pressed her cheek against her daughters, making a small kissing noise before doing the same to the other side. "I'll call you later."

And without so much as a goodbye, she turned and left.

"It was lovely meeting you!" Emma sang back.

Only Regina noticed the stomp in her mothers walk as she kept on her way. It wasn't until she rounded the corner Regina sighed heavily. "Well."

Emma knew she was a dick - it was something she'd come to turns with a long time ago, and she didn't see that singular personality flaw changing any time soon. That didn't mean it didn't make her feel like shit every now and again. She sat back down after a long moment of silence and crossed her legs. "She seems fun."

Regina managed a puff of laughter without a smile. "I'm sure she'll have some choice words for me later."

"Sorry. You can blame it on me, I don't mind."

She shook her head. "It was much more about me not groveling and asking her to solve what she perceives as my problems than you.."

"Acting like a teenager." She supplied, holding out a carrot.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Regina's face. She took the carrot and popped it in her mouth before sitting down and pushing the gifts into her purse. Her shoulders lifted and fell before she looked back up. "It was a little bit entertaining to hear someone talk to her like that."

"Yeah?"

Regina nodded. "People are more scared of her than they are of me."

"You don't scare me." Emma gave her a cheeky grin.

"Not yet."

The half lidded, mischievous expression on her face made Emma want to melt through the bench and die.

Regina looked at her watch and started to pack things away. "We'd better go- Henry's out of school in fifteen minutes."

"Really?"

She tilted her watch so Emma could see.

"Well, shit. That happened fast."

"You walk slow. If you don't keep your pace up in a sleepy town your whole day will pass and you'll have nothing to show for it."

Emma stood up and kicked a pebble instead of trying to bite down dreamy look at the other woman. "You're like Gandalf, man. I can't keep up with all of these little bits of wisdom you keep giving me."

Regina laughed. "Gandalf?"

"Oh my god, don't tell me you haven't seen Lord of the rings? Like one of them. Come on."

She just shook her head.

"I take it all back. I should have kept the kid."

Emma had to remind herself to breathe as the brunette tilted her head back with another round of laughter. It was enough to make someone sick with how fucking gorgeous she was. Like, really? It wasn't fair. No part of it.

"It's disgraceful, really." She sighed

"I have heard of it. And my roommate in college, her boyfriend was a bit obsessed with it. All of the little figurines and everything." She nodded before getting up and hugging herself as they started walking toward the school. "I take it you're a fan."

"No, I'm Sam Wise."

Regina nodded. "Of course."

"You have no idea what I'm talking about."

"I imagine it has something to do with the series."

Emma grinned to herself as she rolled her eyes. " _Saga_."

* * *

Henry bounded out the large double doors of the school and stopped in his tracks, other children knocking gently against his shoulders in their fervent attempt to leave the establishment, and all Regina could do was dawn a grin, watching her son's face go from shocked, to confused then fading into a smile. He just kept staring at them as his feet moved slowly toward the two.

"Hi." He itched his upper lip and just looked at the two smiling suspiciously.

Regina leaned forward and kissed his head. "How was school."

He shrugged. "Boring. What's..." He turned to the blonde. "You're still here?"

Emma nodded, then looked at Regina.

The older woman just smiled and nodded toward Henry.

She took a deep breath and dropped to his level, folding her hands for balance. "So, your mom and I have been talking... and I'm going to get a place in town so I can see you on a regular basis. And.. you can call me and stuff. There's some boundaries, but your mom's pretty cool, and she's fixing everything up."

He matched her lopsided grin, looking between the two. "Really?"

Regina nodded, and Emma kept looking at the little boy who was a little too cool for his age. Her smile grew, and Henry kept smiling, little tears bubbling in his eyes. For the first time since arriving in town, Emma's gut felt a little twist of affection. Not the hot torment of looking at the Mayor or feeling nervous... this was different. It seemed like her arms opened on their own and Henry all but ran into them, knocking her over so she was flat on her but, squeezing him back.

"This is awesome." He cried.

Regina dabbed at her eyes with her scarf, smile stretching from ear to ear, but she said nothing, letting the two of them chatter away as they walked back to the house. Henry didn't take his eyes off of Emma, or his hand away from his mother's grasp.

* * *

_-Knock knock.-  
_

Regina frowned down at her phone, then over at the man in her bed, sleeping soundly well before she even thought of turning out the light. She bit her lips before resting her book on her lap and picking up her phone, allowing her mouth to tip up at the very ends.

 _-Who's there?_ She replied.-

Almost instantly her phone vibrated again.

_-Cindy Lou-_

Regina immediately rolled her eyes.

_-Get it?-_

_-Yes, Miss Swan :p-_ She could swear she knew the exact expression on Emma was wearing at that moment.

_-Still with the faces. Nice. Does Henry like The Grinch?-_

_-Every year at Christmas we watch it about six million times. Yes, I would say he's fond of it.-_

_-Good, because I got him some grinch pajamas on sale. I saw them and couldn't say no.-_

Regina felt her head tilt to the side after reading, her smile turning somewhat dreamy without her realizing.

_-I think he'll like them. Are you coming back this weekend?-_

_-Yeah, if it was still alright with you. I have to see the apartment, right?-_

_-The appointment still stands, I've confirmed with Ms. Blanchard in person as well.-_

_-Cool. Thank you. Can I give the kid the pjs then?-_

_-You can tell him you have a present, but he has to wait until his punishment is up to get them.-_

_-Ooooohhh shit.. almost forgot about that-_

_-No television unless he wants to watch the news with me, no computer, and only two comic books until the end of the month.-_

Regina had to stifle her laughter as she stared down at the picture of the little blonde child from home alone with both of his hands on either side of his face, frozen in mid-gasp.

Graham turned at looked at her groggily.

She squeezed his shoulder. "Go back to sleep."

"What's so funny?"

"It's just... Emma sent me a picture..." She shrugged.

His brow furrowed. "What?"

"It's-" She turned the phone toward him. "Her reaction to Henry's punishment, I take it."

"Lovely."

Regina set her jaw as he rolled over.

_-Have a nice rest of your evening, Emma.-_

She turned the device off before going to kiss Henry goodnight and falling asleep to infomercials on the couch downstairs.

* * *

"Even Graham agrees with me, darling. I don't understand how you can't see this is more than somewhat troublesome. You know nothing about this woman. How she could influence Henry, she may drive a wedge between the two of you."

She shook her head. "He's been cooperative and far more responsive than I've seen him in months. And we're starting to talk about things again, even during his punishment for running away. Mother, if anything this whole thing is bringing us closer."

"Well still, about this mother-"

" _Emma_." She sighed, correcting the older woman. "Ms. Swan is not a threat. She asks me before she does anything regarding him, even in thinking of... giving him pajamas she bought for him."

"Bribery."

"Mother."

Cora raised her hands in mock surrender. "It's your decision, but I don't agree with it. Even that oaf of a fiance thinks so,"

"I think we should change the subject." Regina took another sip of her tea, casting her gaze to the ground.

Her mother crossed her arms, setting back in her chair slowly. "Well, speaking of fiance, have you two set a date?"

"No. For the millionth time, it's the middle of the school year and we're still preparing our reelection campaigns-"

"And stalling is easier than admitting to yourself that you're settling."

"I am not. I waited for the right man, someone who was responsible and that I trusted-"

"Those are qualities you look for in an accountant, there's much more that goes into a husband, dear. He's dull."

Regina smiled in spite of herself. "That's not fair."

"In what way?" Cora shook her head. "Offering your daughter the truth is more than fair."

"Or you could just smile and be supportive. I would like that very much."

She scoffed dramatically, picking up her tea again. "That doesn't sound much like me, does it? We have very different styles of parenting."

"I'm so very sorry I didn't inherit your 'tough love' approach. It must be such a burden." Regina laughed.

"You're not a burden."

"But my marriage, surely is."

Cora leaned forward and kissed her daughters forehead, not realizing it was just what she needed at that moment.

* * *

Emma kept staring between her phone and the Law and Order SVU episodes on her laptop.

"You're a fucking idioooot." She sing-songed to herself. She gulped down the last of her Mike's hard and decided 9'o'colck wasn't late. _  
_

She picked up her phone, almost ready to type before leaning her head back and growling. It wasn't early either. And she was a real, actual grown up with a real job and a kid. No matter how much she wanted to talk to Henry, and to Regina afterwards, she shouldn't call first.

But what if that made her look like she wasn't trying? Like she didn't really want to be in his life, she was just going along with whatever to be cooperative.

Her head fell to the side slightly, looking at the shitty gift bag she picked up on the way home for Henry's pajamas. She wasn't even sure they'd fit him, but they made her laugh... and think of him waking up in them with messy hair, and couldn't help the smile that came to her as she imagined his normal life. Waking up and brushing his teeth, having breakfast made for him every day and being sent off to school by someone who loved him. And in the same thought it made her that much more thankful for Regina, and made her more attractive in a whole different light.

"Fuck it."

_-Is it too late to ask if I can talk to Henry?-_

Her heart sat in her throat as she stared at the phone.

_-Not at all. Should I have him call you?-_

Emma grinned and simply hit the screen before holding it up to her ear.

"Just a second." She smiled at the obvious amusement in Regina's voice.

"Sorry."

"Oh, don't be!"

Grahams voice on the other hand earned a face being shot in the direction of the wall. "Who's that?"

"Emma's calling to talk to Henry."

Everything's a bit muffled for a long moment before she hears a sigh, and what seems like climbing stairs. "He's in bed by nine, but I don't make him turn the lights out until ten."

"Damn. Keep that pimp hand strong, mamma bear."

"Oh my goodness..."

Emma laughs along with the brunette, imagining the look on her face at the same time.

But the sound of the door opening comes in.

Regina's voice is quieter. "Wow... he's already asleep."

"Really?"

"I'm sorry.. I'll tell him you called in the morning."

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that. Looks like the punishment's working, though. Kid probably fell asleep from boredom."

There's a long pause and a click of what Emma's sure is a light of some sort, then the door closing.

"I'm sure he would have loved to talk to you."

She took a breath, leaning her head back again. "Is it too much? That I called. I don't.. want to butt into your guy's life."

"No..."

There's another pause, and this time Emma's stumped. There's more movement and then complete silence until Regina sighs. "Actually, it makes me happy."

Her heart flutters a bit. "Yeah?"

"It does.. you started out so unsure of everything. Putting in effort like _this_ , and the pajamas."

Emma just listened.

"I know how much it means to him that you want to be in his life. I've already seen him start to be that bright little boy again."

Her voice was so soft, Emma just closed her eyes. "I really- I didn't expect to feel like this. I mean, I didn't... I don't know."

"What?"

Emma laughed to herself, rubbing her eyes. "Seeing Henry, was horrifying at first. And then he's funny and has this personality, which scared me even more. But once that shock faded away a little..." She stopped herself shook her head. "What I'm trying to say is that I keep thinking about him, and I'm not super familiar with what it feels like to care about someone, but I don't want to hurt him. And I'm going to do my best to be... to be there for him- maybe like a cool aunt. If.. you know, that's not crossing any lines for you."

There was a bit of a silence, which made Emma's gut churn a bit more.

"Everyone thinks I'm an idiot for letting him spend time with you. For allowing this relationship at all, frankly."

"Well, fuck 'em."

She laughed, but Emma sat forward and shook her head. "No, I'm serious. This is your kid and you get to make the decisions. Nobody else's opinion matters. Least of all mine. If you start to feel uncomfortable with anything, I'll back off-"

"No, that's not... the fact you say that, and have said that from the beginning is why I trust you."

Trust. Well shit. That was new.

"You know, aside from finding you hammered in your room.. which, I admit I misjudged." She laughed. "I haven't had much help with Henry, and I don't want him to feel trapped. I want him to have other people to talk to. People who aren't my mother.. who's a bit much at times. And seeing how he and Graham don't exactly see eye to eye. I'm glad there's another person he'll have to turn to if he can't talk to me about something, and I'm his mother so I'm sure there will be plenty of instances." She came right back as soon as she stopped, clarifying with urgency. "Not that I give you any permission for you to keep things from me if something serious is happening-"

"No, that's not cool with me. I'd tell you."

Another long pause, and Emma kept chewing on her lip, not knowing what to say. _'Hey, you're the shit and you're really pretty. I like your butt and how well you take care of the kid I popped out. Let me come over and snuggle, yeah?'_ She rolled her eyes at her own thoughts. She'd be lying if she said images of her and the kid throwing a ball around in the back yard while Regina grilled something or other in the summer time hadn't popped in her head a couple times. And as much as she tried to push it down, more stupid things kept playing in her mind. Things that were so stupidly out of character for her.

She'd never liked to talk to people, or make friends. If someone slept over more than twice she'd start to get nervous.

The kid made everything different, and she had just the smallest itch to pop him one in the back of the head for it.

"Well..." Regina said calmly, breaking the silence. "Thank you for calling anyway. I'm sorry you couldn't talk to him."

"It's okay. I think this was good too."

"Yes. We should be.. friendly if we want this to work out."

"Yeah." Emma wanted to stab herself in the eye - friendly. Of course she'd take it in the most perverted way.

"We'll see you.. Saturday?"

"I'll text you when I get ready to leave."

"Alright - your appointment to see the apartment is at noon."

"Cool." She bit her lip and wished she could see the brunette's face. "Have a good night, Regina."

"Good night."

Emma let Regina hang up, then threw the phone on the couch before letting her body slump to the floor dramatically.

"Fuck my liiiiiifffeeee..." She sang purposefully off key.

She put her chin on the coffee table and looked back at her laptop and the muted people arguing over some case. She hadn't actually paid attention to the episode... or the last two.

"God damn it... Mariska, I think you should just come and be my girlfriend and give me like four kids. I mean..." She flopped back down on the floor and laughed, massaging her face. "I should be put down. FUCK."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I would also love to thank the lovely 'Sammichbatch' for being my beta on this story even though she has a life and is crazy busy, she is amazing and I love her dearly! Ugh, seriously perf. And I know the story will be better for having her opinion helping me along!

Saturday mornings were usually the only ones she had to herself. But something about sitting there, all by herself this particular morning made her feel more lonely than relaxed.

The cool blue light from the window kept glinting off of her ring and she moved her finger, staring at the distinct sparkle of something manufactured to be perfect. The perfect cut to fit a setting to adorn some woman's finger, signaling to the world that she was absolutely taken. Anyone who cared to glance at her left hand would be met with the wink of her promise to a man, that she would be his and in turn he would be hers.

And Regina knew this was the part where she should smile down at it softly rather than taking it off and staring at it as it lay on the counter in front of her. Somehow it wasn't hers, or not yet.

The door bell rang and she looked up completely puzzled.

She brought her ring with her, working it over her knuckle and pulling her robe a little tighter before she opened the door.

"Hi..." Emma smiled with a nervous air buzzing around her. "I know I'm early, but you didn't answer your phone.."

"Early for what?" She frowned, genuinely confused. Then her mouth dropped. "I'm stupid."

"What? I thought I was seeing the-"

"No, I understand now. I- come in." She waved the other woman in the house, closing the door behind her softly. "I got ahead of myself. It's next weekend."

"Fuck, that's right."

Her shoulders slumped forward and Regina gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I've stolen your Saturday."

"No, I didn't have plans." She shrugged and hopped up on one of the bar stools. "I thought I remembered you saying she still needed to move into her new place or whatever."

"I could check anyway?" She peered over her shoulder, pouring Emma a cup of coffee without being asked.

"Uhm..." Emma smiled down at the mug as it was pushed across the counter, her eyes following Regina as she made her way to the pantry for the sugar, then the refrigerator, but she shook her head preemptively. "No, thank you, I'm good with just the sugar." She patted the top of the tin.

Regina nodded and walked back to her place across the island from Emma. "It wouldn't be much trouble at all to see if she'd show you early?"

"Maybe? I mean if you weren't doing anything today?"

The brunette tried to ignore the lack of eye contact but couldn't help storing the detail away. "Graham will be on duty for the better part of the day, so it was just Henry and I, but he's grounded for another two weeks. I thought of taking him to the office with me so he could sit in his boredom."

Emma laughed softly, seemingly aware of the sleeping bodies in the house. "Good idea." She tossed her head from side to side. "I guess apartment hunting would bore him too, yeah?"

Regina nodded and sipped at her coffee, her gaze being pulled out the window. She just stared for a moment, feeling oddly at ease and distressed at the same time between the eery silence and how terribly comfortable she felt with Emma in her home, talking like old friends.

"That's pretty."

Her eyes followed Emma's down to her hand, and once again she held it so it caught the light - this time so they both could see. "Thank you... I finally got to put it on."

"What?"

Regina tried to twist it around her finger. "I've had it in my jewelry box for.. gosh, I think it's been about six months now."

"Why so long?"

"Well, I wanted to give Henry some time to adjust and we decided to set a date first.. Graham had only just moved in when he asked me. Before he and Henry started to butt heads."

"Ah. Right."

"No, they were so nice to each other in the beginning! We dated for a year and a half before we told Henry, and it was fine. And then another year before he moved in, and they got along. Then all of the sudden; chaos."

"That bad?"

"No... no. They just bicker... all of us do."

Emma shrugged. "At least dude knows how to pick out a ring."

"Yeah... It's a little small, though."

Emma laughed. "Oh, you need one of those giant rocks? Are you a material girl, Regina?"

"No, I meant the size! Around my finger." She grinned. "And personally, I think you just missed a golden opportunity for a 'that's what she said' joke."

"Holy shit. I'm impressed."

The brunette struck a pose, soaking up the sarcastic adoration.

Emma rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter top. "Really, I like it. And usually I think those things are hideous."

"Why?" Regina eyed her sceptically.

"Because they're just a show piece. I mean, I get that it's supposed to stand for true love and smushy smushy romance crap, but it's just another thing to keep track of."

"Sure, but it's like putting a sign on that says to the world, 'You can't have me. I already found my other half.' I've always found that part sweet."

Emma sipped at her coffee and shook her head. "I don't like that either. The whole 'other half' idea."

"What do you mean?"

She looked at the ceiling for a moment before huffing a little. "So... we just walk around as incomplete beings until we find this one person? This face among the crowd that suddenly makes you whole, that's what you're telling me?"

"Well, now who sounds like Gandalf?" She widened her eyes for effect. "Sure. For the sake of argument I suppose so."

"Okay, so that means you're not a whole person. You are a fraction of yourself."

Regina squints at her.

"I think it's gross - no offense."

"None taken."

The blue eyes look in her coffee cup with less than a whole smirk. "I guess it's partially because I've always liked being alone, but I find that kind of codependency really annoying. I don't think you act like that, which I have respect for... the subject just came up."

"No, I think I agree." She nodded and held her coffee cup close to her as she back pedaled to lean against the counter behind her. "You should be a whole and developed person all by yourself. Though I disagree in thinking that we're all better off alone. I'd like to share my life with someone."

Emma just looked at her, eyebrows arching in surprise.

"What?"

" _Someone_?"

Regina looked back in confusion.

Emma shrugged and swiveled in her chair a bit. "I'd think you'd just say 'Graham' instead of 'someone'... since you two are already _planning_ on spending your lives together."

Her eyes went to the floor quickly as she took another drink, letting her face harden before she looked back up. "It was implied."

"Oh." Though she didn't look very convinced.

"Just because I didn't say his name specifically-"

"Hey, I'm not saying anything..." Her face fell into something like remorse. "I watch too many soap operas and I stir shit up. One of the many reasons I'm a loner."

Regina sighed, still looking at the floor. Then her eyes went to the ceiling, hitting close to where her bedroom would be.

"I'm sorry."

Still silence. She could share, or she could draw a line, one she supposed they'd already crossed once or twice falling into the ease of their conversation.

"I'm not stupid." Regina said quietly.

Emma shook her head cautiously. "I don't think you are."

"Nothing is perfect. You can't expect everything to be peachy all the time." She kept her voice calm. "I know my relationship isn't the vision of domestic bliss everyone has in mind, but it's my relationship. It's the only one that I've felt like an equal in."

Regina's eyes turned to look at the blonde again, her face completely unreadable, both hands locked on either side of the coffee mug.

"You've caught us at this strange transitioning point where we are taking steps forward, and unfortunately the pressure of that is leading to some discomfort. All of us are on edge because things are changing. Change just makes things uncomfortable. Graham's trying to fill a role he believes Henry needs in his life, and Henry is too young to understand that having him in our lives won't make me any less of his mother."

Emma just nodded. "And you're caught in the middle."

Regina put her mug down and crossed her arms.

"It's not my business. I wasn't judging, I just... made a weird observation because I suck at having normal conversations with people."

"You asked me if I was happy."

Her face contorted in confusion.

"Earlier this week - when you were leaving after dinner, you asked me if I was happy."

"And you said you thought so."

Regina nodded. "And I do. I am happy for so many things, and thankful that I've been given what I have. I don't think that the stress that's affecting our house is something to be overly concerned with."

Emma pursed her lips, then rested her head on her fist. "Can I be honest with you?"

"I'd prefer it."

"I think you're making excuses for problems you don't know how to fix. And you saying all of this... it can't just be for me. I'm a stranger, you don't care what I think."

She just stared.

"Sure, it could be that... change is weird. Or that Henry's just a kid, and it takes some perspective to understand adult things. And maybe that tension that's happening between all of you will end up not being there when you guys get comfortable again. But you have to ask yourself if that's all you want? For things to just be okay?"

"As opposed to...?"

"Good?" Emma smiled gently. "And I don't know you guys that well. For all I know, you have an awesome relationship, and... maybe the second Henry figures out the three of you could get all snugly and cute and watch power rangers and eat gummy bears, okay? Maybe he'll just switch and everything will be easier. But, I don't think you believe that. And I don't think you believe it's going to get better. I think you just want to believe it because it's easier than thinking... it was good for a second, but it doesn't hold up long-term."

"And that has to be true because you can't manage anything long-term?"

Emma's mouth fell open a bit.

And Regina knew she was wrong, immediately. They were having a conversation, and she allowed Emma to share her opinion, and it wasn't the blonde who stepped over a line.

"Emma-"

"I think I should go."

"I didn't mean that- it was just.."

She shook her head and got up from the stool. "It's fine. I get it."

"No, I was-"

"We can look at the apartment next weekend." She kept heading for the door, head down and chest tight. "It's not a big deal."

Regina kept her arms crossed over her middle, her fuzzy robe swishing around her calves as she followed the other woman. "I apologize. Really, it was the heat of the moment and I felt vulnerable."

Emma looked up with a frown and Regina's stomach tightened at the red reaching from the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

She just shook her head. "It's okay..."

"It's not. You were only saying what you thought, which I prompted-"

Emma sighed, trying to look at her eyebrows and blinking fast. "I've wanted things to be long term before. It's not like I haven't tried a couple times. It just bit me in the ass so I stayed away from it."

"I shouldn't have said it."

"I lied."

Regina frowned.

"About Henry's dad. I know who he is. I don't know where he is, and he's not on the birth certificate. He doesn't know Henry exists, but I tried to make it work. It didn't last for very long, but it wasn't because I didn't believe in it, okay?"

"Emma..."

Their heads both turned to the stairs following the large creak and the heavy footsteps following. "Is everything alright?"

She didn't even look back at them before Emma opened the door. "Yeah, I just got the dates wrong." She waved at the floor quickly. "I'll see you guys later."

Then she was gone. Regina didn't have time to go after her, or the resolve. She had an angry pit in her stomach that felt like it weighed seven hundred pounds.

Graham came the rest of the way down the stairs, peeking out the window as the bug sped away. "Well... I'm sure you saw that coming."

"Are you serious?"

He just smiled at her.

"She runs out the door nearly in tears and you're being sarcastic?"

"What do you want me to say?"

She shook her head and gave a laugh that had no humor in it. "Nothing. The right thing for you to say there is nothing."

"What, so I can't speak?"

All Regina had the energy left to do was retreat into the kitchen, grabbing her cup before going to hide in her study. He came and kissed her goodbye when he left for the station, but it was routine. It wasn't in apology, or as anything more than what he thought he should do. And for the first time, Regina turned her head, denying him the comfort of thinking his actions were without gravity.

* * *

Emma hated crying. She barely made it to the bug before she started breaking down.

And then she only made it about a mile out of town before she had to pull over and collapse in on herself. Once it started, there were no damming the flood gates. She hadn't thought about Henry's dad in years. He'd only just popped into her head after she saw Henry. But the thought in her brain for a few minutes and blaming herself all over again for the lack of stability in her life are two different things.

And sure, she could run then. She could get her shit from her apartment and abandon everything - just drive until she felt far enough away from everything even slightly familiar, but what would that do?

She'd probably just look back at this in a month, or a year and blame herself all over again, because what Regina said would be right. She could conform to her own standard, or she could change it.

* * *

Regina tried to stay present during brunch. It was usually easy. Graham worked Sundays, and she could take a breath and let her mother and her son jabber on about whatever it is they wanted to as she listened to all of the things she didn't hear about in the week, which Henry would easily tell his grandmother.

This brunch was decidedly different. Everything was Emma this, Emma that... Emma moving to town. She got a few sordid glances from her mother, but for the most part she just sat with an awful feeling rumbling down inside of her. Everything Henry was saying might not even be true anymore because she got defensive and said things she didn't mean. Things, granted, she could have been offended by had the tables been turned. She knew she was wrong, but she didn't know the outcome of her error. Her heart sank at the possibility of her mistake costing her little boy a chance to know the woman who would always be a part of him.

Cora put her hand over Regina's.

Immediately her head popped up. "Hm?"

"I didn't say anything." She shook her head knowingly.

Henry was already running through the screen door to play in the back yard. She smiled at him before letting out a long sigh and looking at the table.

"He seems very excited."

Regina just nodded.

"You don't though."

"I think I might have undermined my own attempts of making this go smoothly."

"How so?"

Regina leaned forward, letting her cheek rest against her fist as her other hand tampered with the table cloth. "I... I took a cheap shot. We- Emma and I were having a conversation and she shared some opinions, ones that I initially welcomed. But they stung a bit and my first reaction was to bite back, and using information she shared with me. She was so completely unguarded with it and I just used it against her."

"Well, forgive my saying but her opinions shouldn't be welcome. Henry-"

"It wasn't about Henry."

Cora sat back, lifting her head regally. "She has absolutely _no_ business in things that _don't_ involve him. She's a stranger, someone who-"

"Mother.." She tried to look at Cora in a way that would explain just exactly how much stress this was causing her. And on cue, she took a breath and softened her stare at the younger woman. "I don't want her to be a stranger. If she's going to be in Henry's life, then I want to know her. I was even beginning to enjoy her company- she's so different, and interesting, and she just talked to me. We had conversations.. and now that I've gone and offended her, I don't know what's going to happen."

Cora stayed quiet, her face restrained but compassionate.

Regina nodded and waved her words forward.

She smiled gently. "I think it's dangerous. This situation is not a simple one, and making friends with this woman could show Henry how much you support him and how much you truly care what he wants. But, darling, on the other side of that, it may take away from their relationship. As much as you might enjoy someone to talk to this way, perhaps it's safer to simply facilitate her interactions with Henry, and leave everything else aside."

Regina looked back at her son, hating the sinking feeling grabbing at her gut. "I didn't think it would interfere."

"I know... if you had you never would have allowed it in the first place."

"So how do I fix it?"

Cora smiled before standing, letting her hand rest on her daughters shoulder for a moment. "With all of the grace and professionalism of the mayor, and all of the gentle nurturer that is my daughter." She kissed the top of Regina's head before starting toward the kitchen.

* * *

- _I'm sorry for freaking out the other day_ -

As soon as Emma sent the message she set her phone down and just stared at it, all of the anxiety and self loathing she could muster floating around inside of her as she waited for a reply. Not that she knew she would get one. She didn't know what would happen. All she knew was that she had to try. This couldn't be like everything else in her life - magic or not, Henry coming to find her meant she was something big, and something she refused to ignore.

But when the phone started buzzing on the table her stomach tightened again. She hesitated, but picked it up and held it to her ear, her words failing her completely.

"Hello?"

Emma gulped down the pain in her throat. "Hey."

"Hi." Regina sighed.

Emma drew her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees.

"Are you alright?" She asked, gently.

"Yeah... I'm just. I guess I'm more fragile than I realized. And I'm sorry for all of the-"

"No, Emma, I shouldn't have.. made that remark. It was completely uncalled for."

"But it's true. That's why it hurt - I mean, you're right. I haven't had anything close to long-term and I shouldn't be passing judgement on your life."

"We were talking about it.. and I brought it up."

Emma waited, not sure if she cut herself off or if she was done, but she didn't know what to say.

There was a long breath on the other line. "I apologize. I'm going to take responsibility because I believe I'm the one who was wrong. Is that alright?"

She just smiled at the mother that took over her voice for a moment. "I guess I can let you do that."

"Good."

"How's the kid doing? Is he pissed I didn't call all week?"

And another sigh. "Actually he's in more trouble."

"More? What happened?"

"He got in a fight at school."

"You're kidding. He doesn't seem like-"

"He's not. He's sweet and quiet.. it's not just my opinion as his mother either, I've always heard it from all of his teachers."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. He won't tell me. His teacher doesn't know either." Emma could almost see the older woman pinching the bridge of her nose. "All she knows is that Henry threw the first punch, and that it was a boy who's been teasing him for the better part of this school year."

"Little prick." Emma shook her head. "The other kid... not Henry."

Regina offered up a little huff of laughter.

"Is he okay?"

"Other than the bruise on his cheek and the sulk he's been in for the past two days, I'd say he's.. _medically_ fine."

Emma just nodded, hating herself for not knowing what to say next.

"You could talk to him, if you wanted?"

"Right now?"

"No, I'm at work, anyway. Tomorrow before we go- If you were still planning on seeing the apartment."

"Yeah, I was still going to come. I'll talk to him, sure. As long as you're alright with it."

"Maybe you can get through to him."

"I can try." She smiled weakly.

There was a bit of a silence before Regina sounded like she shifted and cleared her throat. "I was hoping that we could talk too."

"Oh." She hugged her legs a bit tighter and turned her head so the phone just rested against her face. "Okay... shoot."

"Well, perhaps we've been a bit too.." There was a hesitation in her voice. "Actually, I think in person would be better."

"Right." She nodded. "Well... I'll see you guys Saturday, then?"

"Tomorrow?"

Emma smiled. "Yes. Then. Sorry."

"Enjoy your evening, Emma."

"You too.. see ya."

"Bye."

* * *

Even with the phone call, and imagining an angry ten year old, Emma didn't expect to see Henry like that.

Regina opened the door and all he did was look at her, then to his mother, and walk into the living room without a word. He looked a little annoyed, but there was a very obvious, ominous cloud hanging over him.

"Damn."

"He's been like this since Wednesday." Regina stepped aside and let Emma in.

She peeked at him before turning back to the entry way and keeping her voice hushed. "Since the fight?"

The brunette nodded.

"And he hasn't talked about it at all?"

"Not to his teachers, or me... the school's counselor got him to tell her that he was being provoked but that's been all. But he hasn't been back to school."

"He got suspended?"

Regina gestured toward the kitchen.

Emma followed and leaned against the counter.

"Both of them did. It's school policy, and I didn't fight it." She shrugged in a defeated sort of way.

She sighed and crossed her arms. "It seems bad."

"I've never seen him like this."

Emma glanced back in the living room again, pointing her thumb in Henry's direction.

Regina nodded in turn and pointed up. "I'm going to wait upstairs. Just call me whenever you two are ready."

Emma nodded and took a breath. For no reason at all she just stared at the back of his head as she tied her hair up high on her head.

Henry was just sitting with one of his comic books, tucked into the corner of the couch, his knees blocking him from the rest of the world. Emma knew the position well - the one she held tightly to when she didn't want one of the other ornery foster kids in her business. So she approached cautiously.

"Hey kid."

His eyes looked up for a moment before he grunted a "Hey." and looked back down.

"Marvel." She nodded and pointed at the comic. "If I said I was a DC girl, would you hate me?"

"No. I like both."

"Cool. Diversity is good."

Emma sat down next to him carefully. She didn't want to push him, and honestly she didn't feel she had the right to push him to tell her anything. Wasn't she the one who gave him up and decided to forfeit all of those opportunities to help him or coach him through anything?

So maybe this is her chance to be the cool aunt. The one who doesn't ask questions, but just sits and accepts whatever shit was fed to her. But in order for that to happen, she at least had to open the floor in some way.

"Do you know anything about foster care?"

Henry looked up and shook his head.

"Well... It kinda sucks. There are a lot of really awesome people who take care of foster kids, but there are a lot more people who hate kids, but the more kids you let live in your house the more money you get. So there are just a ton of people who have like six or seven kids living with them, and all of these kids have been shuffled around from one home to another, not knowing who to trust or where to go if they really need help, because more than likely, you won't stay in one place for more than eight months or so."

The little boy dropped his comic to his lap, staring at the blonde with a strange look on his face.

"And a few kids come out of it okay - they go to good homes and they get to finish school... get college paid for because they're a ward of the state anyway, and then they start their own life, and it's fine. But... ya know there were kids like me, who got really angry. I was angry at the whole world for letting me be tossed around and for the fact I had no friends. And I was mean to anyone who looked at me funny, and sometimes when they were trying to be nice, because I thought everyone was going to try and hurt me."

He looked like he was going to cry so Emma scooted a little closer, crossed her legs and leaned back, putting her hand on his foot. "I got in fights."

"I just wanted him to stop picking on me." A tear spilled from his eye and he wiped it away quickly and angrily. "I wasn't trying to hurt him for no reason. I thought I needed to stand up for myself."

"I get that. It makes sense." She scratched his ankle, hoping it would pass as affection. "What was he picking on you for?"

"It's not just him, everybody teases me because I'm small and I do good in school." His lip pouted out and Emma couldn't help but smile at how innocent he looked. "He said I was a nerd and that I was gay... and I just wanted him to stop."

Some part of her knew this was the part she should hug him, that a mother would just hold him and tell him everything was going to be okay - that what he did was wrong but she didn't think he was a bad kid.

But she wasn't his mother, and he didn't need to be told the world was some magical place. She put her elbows on her knees, hunching forward to she could look right at him. "There's nothing wrong with you. If you ever decided you were gay or not-" Henry started to interrupt but she just shook her head and kept her voice calm. "You don't have to be anything he said. No matter if you're too fat or too skinny, or you're quiet or too smart... if you like to look at bugs for hours on end... it doesn't matter. The world can be a stupid place, and there are a lot of stupid people. People who were hurt and need to make other people feel bad so they don't feel so bad about themselves. And you're going to get your feelings hurt a lot more than this, and that's okay too."

"He didn't even say he was sorry!"

"And he might not ever say it. In fact, most of the time you won't get a sorry. But I'm sorry." She turned her head and rested it on his knee. "I'm sorry for all of the times people will hurt you, Henry. And I'm sorry for this kid who's picking on you. I'll take all the blame, and you can hear it from me if that'll make you feel better, okay?"

He just nodded, tears streaming from his eyes.

"But if you punch any other kid from now on, you better make sure they hit you first, do you understand me?"

Henry laughed and sat up slowly, leaning into the blonde and letting her arm wrap around him and squeeze for a second.

"Why didn't you talk to your mom?"

He shrugged. "I thought she'd be mad. She always says violence doesn't solve anything."

"She might be mad, but she's always going to try and support you and be there for you. You have to let her in on stuff or your life is going to be harder than it needs to be."

"I know.. it's just hard sometimes."

"It's always going to be hard when you do something wrong, but she's always going to be on your side."

He just sighed.

Emma squeezed him another time before pushing him away playfully. "Alright, go get ready. We're going to go see my apartment! Hopefully. If your teacher gives it to me."

"I'm coming with?"

"Duh. It's going to be super boring with a bunch of grown-up talk, and you're in trouble. So you can hang around with nothing to do as another part of your punishment. Your mom's pretty smart that way."

He just smiled before going toward the stairs.

Emma followed, seeing Regina at the foot of the stairs just before Henry. He stopped for a moment before going over to her and wrapping his arms around her hips. He didn't say anything, but she was sure there weren't words that needed to be said. Regina had obviously heard what was said - tears in her eyes being the second indication. Emma just smiled as Regina leaned down and kissed his cheek, then ran her fingers through his hair.

"Go." She whispered with a smile, pointing up the stairs.

Then her arms crossed, eyes falling on Emma with a tender, teary smile. "That was pretty good."

The blonde just shrugged. "Kids and criminals... not all that different when you think about it."

"You give pep-talks to criminals?"

Emma grinned. "No, just the cowards who I can tell will just come with me if I make them cry."

Regina nodded, kicking some invisible pebble while Emma watched the wheels turning in her head. She wiped a tear away before it had a chance to fall. "You can see him whenever you want to. Especially after that."

She looked up to his door, feeling for the first time like she was exactly where she should be.

"I couldn't have handled it better. And.. Emma I respect what you told him. I don't know where it came from.. but-"

"The.. taking the blame?"

Regina nodded.

"That came from you."

There was a question posed on her face Regina didn't need to speak aloud.

"You just.. jumped in the line of fire, and took responsibility for that whole thing last week. Even when I'm wrong I don't have the courage to do that. I just run away, and keep running until there isn't any blame that can get to me anymore. Any time anything gets serious I run from it. I just took what you did and twisted it for him a little bit."

Regina's mouth dropped a little bit. "But.. you're here."

"What?"

"This-" She gestured all around them. "This situation is serious and you're still here."

Emma nodded slowly and looked at the ground. "Well you were right about the other thing too... that I haven't had anything long term. My fault or not it still stung, and it just kinda made me put things in perspective." She glanced up at Henry's room again. "I want to make this last."

Regina grinned and nodded back at her.

Then the thought came back. Emma laughed at herself. "But you wanted to talk about something, right?"

"Did I?"

She nodded. "You said I should talk to Henry, but that we should-"

"Ready!"

Henry came bounding down the stairs, smile on his face with his shoe laces untied.

Emma pointed at his feet and shook her head. "Almost, kiddo."

Regina just watched everything unfolding around her, something warm and comfortable felt as though it was wrapping around her. She looked from Emma to Henry and back a few times as they chattered back and forth. She handed him the keys and Henry ran out to unlock the car.

The blonde turned back to her with wide eyes. "So.."

"It's nothing." Regina shook her head. A smile crept on to her lips. She didn't want to take a step back. If anything this was testament to that. "We should go, or we'll be late."

Emma nodded and held the door open for the other woman. " _Fleas before beauty._ " She said her best Grinch voice.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another huge shout out to Sammichbatch who is amazing and I love. Thank you for giving me some of your time and helping me. You make me smile with my heeaaaarrrrttt... (DING. Babes in Arms.)

- _Can I borrow Henry while youre at work while he's still suspended?_ -

Regina pushed her glasses into her hair and smiled down at the screen.

- _Sure. May I ask where you'll be taking him?_ -

- _Put him to work, helping me pack some things over to the new place. Maybe we can stop by and drop you some lunch?_ -

She grinned, not remembering the last time that'd happened.

- _Of course. We'll be at the office from 9am_ -

- _Sounds good. Thanks for the reference, btw_ -

 _-btw?_ -

_-'By The Way'-_

_-Thank you. It was no trouble, though. I'm sure Ms. Blanchard would have given it to you anyway. Bold to have just given her the asking price.-_

_-Trust me, it's dirt cheap compared to anything here. I still appreciate it though-_

_-Then you're welcome. Should I tell him or let him be surprised?-_

_-man, I think it would be fun to surprise him.-_

_-Alright. He'll more than likely be asleep when you get here.-_

_-That's fine. Anyway, thanks again-_

_-See you bright and early tomorrow, Miss Swan.-_

She rolled her eyes at the picture of some overweight man in a suit giving an enthusiastic 'thumbs up."

* * *

Emma smiled lightly as Regina opened the door, carrying a sleeping Henry in her arms. Regina tilted her head and gave a sweet smile to the way his head was tucked into Emma's shoulder and how his frame hunched carelessly over hers.

"I'm sorry it's so late."

Regina shook her head. "Not at all. He's usually not asleep for another hour or two anyway."

"Still.." She adjusted him gently coming in the house. "I don't know, I should have checked first."

"Don't worry." The brunette waved any concern away with a smile before shutting the door and holding out her arms.

Emma tried to slide his weight over to the other woman, though it proved a bit more difficult than she thought it would be.

Regina laughed and shook her head, pointing up the stairs instead. "Would you mind?"

"No, it's cool. Just lead the way." And she tried with all her might not to stare at Regina's ass all the way up the stairs, but she still had one of those damn skirts on that hugged everything.

She opened the door and turned the light on, then pulled down the sheets so Emma could set him in bed.

And without prompting they fell in sync, sliding off his shoes and socks, propping him up and taking off his jacket. Regina kissed his forehead and started on his jeans as Emma moved toward the dresser.

"Pj's?"

"Top left." Regina said quietly. "Just bottoms, we can leave him in the t-shirt."

Emma nodded and did as she was instructed, then grinned as she turned around, seeing Henry with his mouth all the way open and snoring softly, looking much more like a little boy than she'd seen him so far. She felt the sigh relieve some subconscious worry more than realizing she'd actually done it.

Regina looked back at her, understanding the wonder in her eyes, and waved her over picking one of Henry's feet up gently so Emma could slide one leg on, then simply assisting as she slid them up the rest of the way.

She pulled the blankets over her son, letting Emma stare at Henry a while longer. However the tears in the blondes eyes as she turned back she was not expecting.

Her elbow brushed against Emma's. "Are you alright?"

She just nodded. "Yeah." Then she shrugged in a way Regina recognized well, seeing so much of her son in it. "I just didn't expect to love him like this. I mean.." She dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. "It's like I was confused and then I thought he was kinda funny. And now I don't want to stop looking at him."

Regina just smiled and ran a hand over her back, in a rough, soothing sort of motherly way that made Emma grin at her shoes.

"Come on." Regina motioned toward the door, then shut the light off behind them as they left.

"I don't mean to get all weird. It's just kind of overwhelming."

"Stop worrying. I felt the same way when I got him."

"Yeah?"

Regina nodded. "Well.. it was this overwhelming awe I felt looking at him. I couldn't believe he was mine. And then I was scared... second guessing myself. I didn't know if I could do it. And then out of nowhere it didn't matter because he smiled at me, and just melted my heart, and I loved him. So I was going to do whatever it took to be his mommy and give him everything he needed."

She was still wiping at her face as they got to the kitchen. "I still don't think I'm ready to be anyone's mommy. But I.. it keeps getting stronger, this feeling like I don't ever want to let him down. Ya know, like-" She took a breath and brought one of her knees up to her chest so she could rest her chin on it as she slipped onto the stool. "It's like I want to be better for him. And I don't know what that means but I want it."

"I understand the feeling."

Emma smiled over to her. "So I'm not crazy?"

"Oh, I didn't say that."

"Right. That might have been a bit of a jump." She laughed at herself.

Regina got her a glass of water and sat down beside her, nursing her tea she'd made a while ago. "So moving went well?"

"Yeah.." Emma relaxed a bit, settling into her seat. "Henry was a big help, too. Even though he _insisted_ on carrying some of the heavier things by himself..."

* * *

Passing weeks led to phone calls every other night, Henry calling when he was ready for bed, and Emma picking him up on Fridays after school so Regina could have another hour or two for paperwork. The accidental habit of meeting at the park for the trade off simply happened, along with having dinner together and putting Henry to bed, and more long conversations about whatever, then planning the weekend out. And Emma wouldn't admit it, but that kitchen table felt more like home than anywhere she'd ever been.

Regina found herself happier as well, seeing her son being the goofy little boy she felt like she'd missed for so long, but also having someone listen to her about something other than her budget meetings or wedding details. It seemed like forever since she'd actually just talked to someone for the sake of company.

* * *

_"Do you like fish?"_

_"Like... salmon? I like salmon but I think I like steak better."_

_"No, like, as a pet."_

_"Oh, sure."_

_"Can I get one?"_

_"What?"_

_"I want a pet- can I get a fish?"_

_"Well have to talk to your mom about it first."_

_Regina smiled over at the both of them babbling and looking at the ceiling like idiots._

_Emma looked over at her from the floor where she and Henry were laying, finding shapes in the bumps above them. "What do you think?"_

_"I think he can have one as long as he is the one who takes care of it. But just one."  
_

Regina didn't open her eyes, letting the little scene play over and over again from her dream. It was the only part she remembered, though the feeling that was attached with the entire dream made her want to stay wrapped in it the whole day through.

Even as she felt the shifting beside her, she kept her eyes closed, willing the joy to stay flooding her senses.

Then an arm wrapped around her middle. Her hand slipped over his on what seemed like instinct, though she couldn't catch a smile just yet.

"Are you awake?" Graham asked quietly.

Regina sighed. "Almost."

He leaned over and kissed her temple, sweeping a bit of hair away, then dipped his head down, his nose drawing a line on her shoulder.

Then the smile found her.

"What's on the agenda for the day?"

She rolled over, letting him hug her with both arms as her head went to his chest. "Emma's coming over around noon and we're taking Henry to the zoo."

"Fun." He nodded and ran his thumb down her spine.

Regina waited for more, but his comment ended there. Her eyes opened as her finger began to trace the smallest series of circles on his bicep. "We talked about maybe going to the lake after if it's nice enough. Have a picnic?"

"Bring extra money just in case. There was supposed to be a chance of rain, right?"

She pulled away just enough to look at his face. And sure enough there was only sleep and a gentle fondness written over his features. She kept searching anyway. "A chance..." She repeated, nodding. "What about you?"

"Just work." She shrugged. "Maybe if I get done in time I could meet you guys?"

She just nodded, as her brows furrowed the smallest bit.

"What?"

She shrugged. "I don't know if you mean it."

"Why would I ju-"

She put her hands on either side of his face and shook his head. "No.. no don't think-" she flinched and let her foot rub his leg under the blankets. "It's just different. You haven't been very discrete about your opinion on Emma being here. I'm just not sure what to think."

His shoulders were still stiff, but his face became a bit less guarded. "It doesn't seem like she's going anywhere. And I know better than to try and change your mind. I just thought I should jump on the band wagon before you left me behind."

"So.. you're being supportive?"

"Of you." He shrugged. "I'll keep my opinions to myself and try to just play along."

It wasn't perfect, but it was better than the constant, passive aggressive eyebrows she got.

His head lifted from the pillow and glanced behind her. "There's still some time before you have to get Henry up."

Regina bit back a smile. "Oh?"

It didn't take much for her to melt into the kisses or shimmy out one of the night gowns she was so fond of. And maybe the kisses weren't as gentle as she would have liked, and it wasn't the romantic love making every woman dreams up in her head. But it wasn't fighting, and it wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone. It was simple, and easy to allow the breathy moans to climb over her lips.

Though she wouldn't ever admit her eyes were shut in concentration instead of pleasure.

* * *

Emma just smiled and nodded.

They got what they had every time - hot chocolate for her and decaf mocha sitting on the other side of the table, the crappy diner cup peppered with lipstick marks in varying opacity. Regina always had all of the interesting things to say. Wedding dress ideas up the wall even though she didn't ever have time to go and look at any. Henry's grades, because Emma couldn't talk to him about anything but comic books and all of the random things he learned in school. Most of the time it was about Henry. Stories, and sometimes there would even be pictures Regina dug out of some place she must have adoringly tucked them away.

And at the end Emma would only smile and let Regina put it on her tab, then pay for it anyway after she left. The bell rang cheerfully and Emma swallowed down the nausea of loneliness again.

"How does she get her hair that flawless every day?"

Emma picked up one of her eyebrows.

Ruby giggled and slid into Regina's spot. "Come on. All your girly talks and she doesn't share her beauty secrets with you?"

"Nope." She took another drink and pushed the mug over. "Can I get a refill?"

"As soon as you get some balls."

"Ruby."

"You're in love with her."

"Stop it." It was a lot weaker than she would have barked it a few months ago.

"Emma..." She slid her hand into the blonde's carefully, then squeezed with intent. "You're going to give yourself ulcers thinking about her all the time and not saying anything."

She flicked the younger woman's hand away. "Why would I have to say anything? Seems like you already know everything there is to know."

"I mean, I have a gift."

Emma sighed heavily. "She's with someone, and she's happy... and I'm going to get over it sooner or later. Besides... if it weren't for the kid I would have forgotten about her months ago."

"Well.. I'm here if you ever need to talk to someone."

"Nope."

"Seriously."

Emma looked up expecting to see some kind of humor but frowned at the sincerity on Ruby's features.

There was a small smile and a tilt of the head. "I have tomorrow night off, and lots of good 80's movies."

She smiled and rolled her eyes again. "Fine. But you have to bring chocolate of some sort. I'll get the booze."

"Duh - I know how to throw a girl's night."

* * *

Month four and Emma just had to wave to the receptionist and head down the hall to Regina's office, no appointment necessary.

She knocked on the door and waited for the tiny "Come in" on the other side of the door.

"Hey." She peeked her head in with a smile.

Regina grinned back and pushed some papers aside. "Hi there."

"Sorry - I forgot to ask yesterday... and I don't want to ask Henry. But when is his birthday?"

"December 12th."

"Right." She nodded. "I knew it was coming up. I just- you know. I mean I didn't want to think about it for a long time. Trying to forget-"

"It's fine. I understand." Regina shrugged with that care and understanding that made Emma want to hit her and make out with her, depending on her mood.

"Do you guys have any plans? Should I get him a card, or..?"

Regina pulled her glasses off and took a breath. The kind that Emma knew meant she was just repeating something she'd rehearsed because it wasn't her idea. "We talked to Henry about giving him bigger presents on Christmas instead of doing both a birthday party and Christmas... so. I suppose a card. We'll have cake the day of, of course-"

"That kinda sucks though."

She tilted her head and pretended to look at paperwork. "Henry didn't seem to mind."

"Yeah, but if he thinks it's what you want, he'll say whatever to make you happy."

"I know."

Emma sat down and shrugged. "Well, let's just do something fun. Just the three of us?"

Regina stared.

"I'll take you guys to the city.. and we can walk around Time Square and go to one of your guys geeky museums. No big presents or anything but we'll at least do something for him?"

When that smile broke through, Emma fought down the urge to giggle and cower away like a school girl.

"That sounds wonderful."

"Good - take the day off work, and get Henry out of school. I'll plan everything."

"Okay."

* * *

They had to chase after him the whole time.

Emma was only ahead of the game until she parked, then her and Regina had to stay on their toes as Henry ran everywhere. Hot chocolate for around the park and pizza for lunch. Regina didn't say so, but she kept mulling it over in her head - Emma wanted to do this for Henry. She wanted to give him a special day. He was more important than convenience to her.

It made her hate herself just a little bit for going along with the idea that it would be easier just to spend more money on the one day... because she'd always made the effort before.

Henry fell asleep on the way back from New York and Regina turned to the blonde just before they entered Maine again.

"Would you like to come over for Christmas? Maybe not the morning, but for dinner... or if you wanted?" She hesitated, gulping down this awful anxiety that grabbed a hold of her throat.

But Emma just nodded in her easy, relaxed way and said she would be over if they wanted her there.

Regina didn't say that she always wanted her there... and refused to admit to herself it wasn't just for Henry.

Instead she went and got Emma a card and a cook book the next day and wrapped them up as soon as she got them home. She even let Henry pick out one of the fancier necklaces for her, despite Graham's grumbles of protest about her not being a part of the family, and they shouldn't treat her like one. He hadn't been too happy about the birthday excursion either.

But when Christmas came she was happy watching Emma and Henry being goofy and opening their gifts together, cherishing her son's wonder as Emma hugged him hard opening her gifts. But when he handed her the little gift bag with the tag in his hand writing she knew Emma had helped him. Graham had given her his gift, this was different. If that didn't tell her, Emma couldn't look at her as she pulled out a silver bracelet with bright red stones in it.

"Did you-"

Emma shook her head. "Henry picked it out on his own."

And somehow a 'thank you' didn't seem to cover it.

The shrug she received along with Henry's bear hug, she knew she didn't have to say anything.

* * *

"Hey."

Emma spun around, keys still in hand as the Sheriff came rushing over to her. She folded her arms and gave an awkward nod. "Hey."

"Hi- I just..." Graham looked back at the house over his shoulder. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay?" She shrugged.

"So, I was kind of a dick."

The suddenness and the tact with which he said it made Emma's eyes go wide and a shocked smile come up.

"And I just want to apologize. I guess... I mean I didn't like you three going for Henry's birthday or.. a lot of it which is just my opinion, but I still thought we should be on good terms. Looks like you're sticking around so, better we get along, yeah?"

"Yeah..." She nodded. "Probably."

"Good."

The vast weirdness in the air wasn't going anywhere. So Emma leaned against her car and crossed her ankles. "I meant to talk to you soon, anyway."

"What about?"

"Regina told me about you being short on volunteers at the station. And I know about the system - Miranda rights and how to file reports and the whole nine. I could help a couple days a week?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'll think about it."

"Okay."

"I'll have Regina leave you the application."

She looked at her shoes. "I won't pass the background check. Just- ya know, letting you know."

"Why not?"

"I went to prison when I was a kid. I didn't do my whole sentence.. and I was a minor but it's still on there."

He just looked at her with a weird look.

"I didn't do it. I just... this guy let me get caught with some stuff he stole. And he used my car to get away, so everything pointed to me. And I wasn't smart enough to get a lawyer."

"Oh."

"You don't have to- I could work just so you have more hands to get stuff done."

Graham rubbed his face and nodded again. "But we still have to have your name on file for legal reasons. It's not just a babysitting the house kind of thing."

And Emma immediately knew she would have a lot more questions to answer.

"I have to go, though."

"Right." He stepped back and gave her half a wave.

Emma did the same and unlocked her car. "See ya."

* * *

Regina flipped the page in her wedding magazine and leaned her head against Graham's shoulder, glancing at Henry doing homework in the dining room. "What do you think about June?"

Graham closed the manilla folder and looked at her. "June?"

"For the wedding."

"Oh. Uhm... yeah."

"It's a ways away but it'll give us time to plan everything..."

"Right."

"What are you working on?" Her brows furrowed.

He frowned and put it on the end table. "I can't tell you that - It-"

"Conflict of interest. So we can go over it at a meeting, or we can talk about it now. What is it?"

He smiled before handing her the folder. "Did you know Emma was in prison?"

Any playfulness fell from her face. She poured over the paperwork paying no attention to his attempts at explaining what was written there.

_Armed robbery.. Possession of stolen property... 'although wittness description does not match the accused, her involvement in the crime is absolute..' three years..._

"She only served fourteen months for a three year sentence, though-"

"How did you find this?"

"She applied for a volunteer deputy position."

Regina looked at him. "Here?"

"Yes, Regina... that's why I have her file."

"When?"

He looked at her and frowned. "About a week ago?"

"I'm just surprised, I was clarifying." She looked back down at the file, flipping through and biting her lip.

He got up and went in to the kitchen, coming back with a bowl of cereal and a strange look on his face. "So."

She just looked at him.

"What do you think?"

"About?"

He pointed to the folder like she was stupid.

Her face hardened as she closed it and passed it back to him. "I think she was sixteen and hasn't had any arrests since. I'll approve her application tomorrow morning."

"What?"

She stood up and pulled her hair back in a clip slowly pacing toward the fire place.

"You can't approve it, she has a prior-"

"She was a minor and I can excuse it."

"No you can't, there isn't-"

"I'm approving the application. You can choose to hire her or not."

"Hire? It's a volunteer form."

"I think you should make her deputy."

"Are you insane?"

Henry turned his head, peeking into the other room.

Her eyes went over and saw Henry's face scrunched up in concentration. She sat back down, lowering their volume. "She's laying down roots. It means she wants to stay and I want her to. Put her on the pay roll-"

"I'm not going to hire-"

"I'll hire her."

"You can't be serious."

"I am." Regina kept looking everywhere, like her mind was piecing everything together.

"What?"

She shook her head. "I... have to go." She nodded and went to kiss Henry and rushed to get her coat.

"Where are you going."

"I'll be back soon." She kissed him soundly and stepped out. "Put Henry to bed if I'm not back in half an hour."

* * *

Emma woke up with the banging on her door.

It took her a minute to realize she was still in Storybrooke and that the lumpy couch was actually hers.

"Who is it?"

But there was only more banging on the other side.

She peered through the peep hole and opened swung it open quickly. "What's wrong? Is Henry okay? Are you okay?" Emma was outside the door, wide eyes and heart pounding.

Regina just shook her head. "Everything's fine.."

"Are you sure? What's-"

"Were you in prison when you had Henry?"

Emma's face dropped, but she took a deep breath and nodded.

Regina pointed in the apartment and Emma stepped aside, letting her in before closing the door behind them.

The brunette looked around with a strange look on her face, but it changed back to the calm, motherly understanding that seemed to come so naturally to her. She leaned against the beam in the bare room and looked at her. "You want to work here?"

She shrugged.

"You look just like Henry."

Emma smiled at her feet as she sat on the arm of the couch.

She sighed and put her hands back in the pockets of her jacket. "Graham showed me your file... because you filled out the application and it would have had to go through me anyway. Anybody who has access to things in the station..." Regina shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I don't care where you had Henry.. it doesn't matter to me where he came from - it never has. I just saw your file and the dates... And he had to have been born before you were released. But lots of women win their babies back after they serve time."

She just sat there.

So Regina took a few steps forward. "Emma."

"Regina I have a lot of shit in my past that I don't ever want to talk about again-"

"And I don't want to bring it up for the sake of making you remember. You should know better by now, I'm not... I want to tell you it has no validity anymore. I don't care what you did. You don't have anything incriminating on your adult record. And if you want to work here.. you want to be here, I'll approve your application in the morning." She shook her head and smiled softly. "I'll even hire you on. There's money for a deputy on the pay roll."

Emma gulped down the rock in her throat. "Can I start with the volunteer thing? Just to try it out? I mean.. I'll totally think about-"

"Take as much time as you want."

She just kept staring up at Regina, something young and vulnerable in her eyes. "Henry's dad..."

Regina shook her head. "I don't care."

Emma took a moment and then nodded.

There was a long moment, the air shifting around them. Like the only thing left for them to settle was finally on the table.

"I wasn't hiding it.. I just-"

"It's okay." Regina shrugged and went stepped over to the kitchen area. "I wouldn't know how to bring it up either."

"I don't want Henry to know."

"Then he doesn't have to. I mean if he asks, maybe be vague. So you can tell him when he's older and you're not lying to him."

She nodded. "Right."

Regina gestured around her. "I haven't ever actually been in here before."

Emma smiled softly and sighed at the change in subject. "Yeah.. sorry it's not very homey."

"The way Henry talked I swore he moved more up here than the couch and a ping pong table."

"Yeah well.." She pointed upstairs and at the tv. "The bed frame is up there and the entertainment stuff. He helped me get all of it up here in pieces."

"Bed frame."

She scratched her nose. "Haven't gotten around to actually getting a mattress. Because I'm lazy."

Regina pointed to the boxes in the corner. "What about those?"

"Laziness."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Most of the stuff from my apartment in the city."

"Most?"

Emma stood up and crossed her arms. "I don't have a lot. Mostly clothes and art. And I just keep buying clothes instead of washing my old ones..."

Regina grinned. "What kind of art?"

"The kind you buy at garage sales. Don't get too excited. My taste is still off brand at it's fanciest."

She nodded and narrowed her eyes at the other woman.

"What?"

"Nothing." Regina took a long breath and shuffled slowly toward the door, letting the blonde follow her. "I should be getting back... to put Henry to bed. I just-" She glanced toward Emma quickly. "I just panicked and wanted to let you know... that everything was fine. I'm not going to ever hold your past against you. How you are with Henry speaks for itself."

All of her insides vibrated. She didn't want to read into the tilt of Regina's head or the softness in the way she was looking at her, but it was hard not to. If they were in a bar, Emma would be putting all her moves on. But she wasn't just some random woman to kick out in the morning, she made her more nervous than she remembered being since she was in grade school.

"Thank you..." Emma opened the door for the other woman.

"I didn't mean to wake you."

She shrugged.

Regina turned just outside the doorway and shifted on her feet. "Do you.. are we still on for coffee in the morning?"

"Yeah. I mean I was planning on it?"

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes and gave the closest thing to a giggle she'd ever heard from the mayor, and made her throat tighten. "Well... I'll see you there. I mean- we.."

"Goodnight, Regina."

And that giant smile. "Goodnight."

"Drive safe!"

"I will!"

Regina disappeared down the stairs and Emma couldn't stop herself from closing the door and playing everything over in her head. And the smile... she didn't give a fuck about anything other than what she knew, and what she saw with Henry and what she knew to be true.

Emma went over to her phone and dialed quickly.

"Grannie's Inn and Diner- this is Ruby, what can I do ya for?"

"You win. I'm in love. Like stupid, crazy love, and it's been like... God I don't even know how long and it's only getting worse."

The laugh on the other end made her put her head in her hands.

"Ruby, come on."

"Oh Emma... I'll be over in an hour?"

"Bring ice cream."

Ruby gasped dramatically. "No booze?"

"No. Ice cream and The Breakfast Club. Or the Goonies."

"Jesus, you're wrecked."

"Cookie dough ice cream."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to Sammichbatch - she is perf and somehow puts up with all of my bullshit. I appreciate her so much and YES I will try and mention it every time because I'm so grateful for her input no matter how much of a brat I am.

Walking in to the station was the last straw.

It was the icing on the cake that told Emma she had some place she belonged. She had people, and now something she was good at was sitting right in front of her, something that needed to be done and she had the skills to do it.

The fact that Graham was acting like a dick, ordering her around didn't matter. In a few weeks she was sure she'd be better at his job than he was, and could hold her own anyway.

* * *

"What are we doing?"

Regina smiled and put her finger to her lips, telling Henry to hush. "We're giving Emma some essentials."

"What are essentials?" Henry looked at her with a little wrinkle in his nose.

"It means basic things that someone should have. Turns out, she doesn't have very much in her apartment, so I got some of our old stuff out of the garage."

They made it to the top of the stairs and Regina put down a box of art she'd taken out of the room that became Henry's, and pointed to the floor for Henry to set his box of dishes and silverware down, then pulled out a note pad for him to leave a note on her door.

A few more trips and Emma had a couple of chairs and a small coffee table, along with an extra lamp and their old microwave.

They giggled all the way back down the stairs and waited for the text from Emma. And sure enough an hour or so later she called and said thank you, asking if they'd like to come over and help her set it up _inside_ the apartment.

* * *

"Also that stretch of road between 5th and Main... and 5th and Pine needs repair, definitely more than..."

Regina kept going in and out of the meeting. The money was there, why didn't they just decide amongst themselves and tell her which road they were fixing next? She didn't care. She dealt with that pot hole just outside of her driveway for years and she wasn't complaining.

It didn't help that the urge to puke and fall asleep kept taking turns consuming the part of her brain that should have been nodding and looking over paperwork that was constantly being pushed toward her. But all she could think about was crawling back into bed and leaving the town to their own devices for a few hours. Not that she didn't love her job - it was both fulfilling and-

"Regina?"

She looked up at the same time she felt something moving down her lip quickly. Her hand reached up to touch her nostril and sure enough there was blood covering the top of her finger.

Sydney handed her A Kleenex from the other side of the table and she took it quickly. But it didn't seem to do much with the faucet that turned on inside her face. She turned and apologized to the board members and rushed for the restroom, only imagining all of the ridiculous things being said in her wake. The pressure of being Mayor was not finally getting to her, and she was still just as fit for the position as she was when she was elected.

"Just a nose bleed. Not only women get nose bleeds." She grumbled to herself.

But looking in the mirror she sighed. She pulled at the bags under her eyes between cleaning her face, and knowing she was far more tired than she usually was.

It was just the wedding. She was just stressed.

* * *

Emma kept watching Regina's eyes close and her shoulders lifting in the stretches she held her breath. That was between the blank stares, empty nods and rubbing the dark circles under her eyes. She wouldn't lie - it worried her a little, for Regina too, seeing her lack of togetherness in a place as public as Grannies.

"I mean the paperwork isn't _awesome_ but it's not... Regina, are you sure you're alright?"

Regina just nodded and blinked her eyes forcefully. "It's just early."

"It's not any earlier than it usually is?" Emma rested her head on her hand and frowned.

"I know."

"What's up?"

Regina shook her head and tried to gulp down more coffee but it wasn't sitting well with her this morning. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"Yeah? It kinda seems like something." Emma pushed her hot chocolate back and forth between her hands slowly. "Nothing seems to get to you. You just seem out of it, ya know?"

"I do." She took a deep breath, but that feeling in her stomach and her throat didn't go away.

"You want water or something?"

She nodded. "That might be-" But her hand went over her mouth instead as she felt the first heave before she'd really have to puke.

As she ran into the rest rooms she stopped denying herself that something was wrong.

Emma didn't wait either, simply shrugging away the confusion on Ruby's face and going after the older woman. But there wasn't much she could do other than twist her hands and watch as Regina threw up what little breakfast she had. So she peeked her head out and motioned for the waitress.

"Ruby!"

She just looked at her.

"Can you get her some water?"

"Is she okay?"

"Please." She rolled her eyes and knelt down beside Regina and rubbed her back, hoping that's what you did when someone was puking.

But she flushed the toilet and wiped her mouth right as Ruby brought the water in.

"Thank you." Regina nodded and sat back as Emma took the glass.

Emma just sat there for a second before Regina started to cry. And that's when she didn't know what to do at all. What could she do? She didn't do tears - not with herself or anyone else.

"Can I tell you something?"

Emma nodded carefully.

"I think I have cancer." She just shook her head and wiped her mouth again.

Emma handed her the water, feeling her own stomach turn at Regina's shaky hands.

"And I've been so tired.. I keep having these awful nose bleeds, I can't stop throwing up, I have no appetite." Her lip curled under again. "It just terrifies me. It sounds so much like cancer symptoms to me and I'm scared."

"How long has it been going on for?"

Regina shrugged. "About a month?"

Emma looked at the floor and picked at her nails. "Do you think.. maybe you're pregnant."

"No." Regina took another piece of toilet paper and dabbed at her eyes. "The nausea would have started earlier, right? A-and nose bleeds-"

"Are normal for pregnant women. You have more blood in your body... everybody's different but that's what it sounds like to me."

She looked back at the blonde. "Really?"

Emma nodded and tried to smile even though her insides felt like they were being beaten into a pulp with all of her stupid emotions.

"I have a doctor's appointment next week.. I'm just nervous." She took another drink of water and sighed.

"Have you said anything to Graham yet?"

"No." Regina said quickly. "He's had other things on his mind... the wedding, I'm sure. I don't know."

"So.. do you want someone to go to the doctors with you?" Fuck. She realized after she said it, she shouldn't be the one to stand next to her and hold her hand. She was putting herself in a position that would make her feel way more important than she was.

Thankfully Regina smiled and shook her head. "No, you don't have to do that... I think it'd be better by myself. I'll have more time to prepare to tell the boys."

"Don't think it's cancer."

"I can't help it. My mother had it - but thankfully it was only ovarian cancer and they caught it early. She had her hysterectomy and nothing's ever come up again. It just makes me nervous."

"But if you think it, you'll only stress yourself out more. It might not be anything."

Regina smiled. "That _might_ is still scary though."

* * *

"I don't know."

"And then what if it's a baby?"

"I. Don't. Know."

Ruby crossed her legs and looked at Emma. "Well, you have to be thinking about this stuff. I mean, I would if I were you."

"You're thinking about it anyway because you're a nosy shit."

"That's true."

Emma sighed and took another big swig of beer, not paying any attention to the wonder Breakfast at Tiffany's was supposed to be. Straight girls would probably be more impressed.

"You could always run." Ruby shrugged.

Emma hit her arm harder than she meant to. "Fuck you. I've put in way too much time here."

"And you care too much." She rubbed her arm with a glare. "I was just reminding you."

"I didn't forget."

"But you thought about it. It's easier than sitting there and watching Regina build her life and a whole family with someone else."

"Can you stop-" Emma rubbed her eyes and took deep breaths. "If I don't think about it, then it's fine. I mean.. I'm just grateful for them, when I don't think about her. They let me come over for Christmas!" She looked at Ruby and tried to blink away all the tears welling up in her eyes. "I've never got to celebrate Christmas with anyone. Like getting and giving presents. Sometimes they'd give us used stuff at the shelters, but... I've never been with a real family before. I'm just going to try and enjoy the fact I have people now. Even if I'm not a part of their family they still wanted me there. "

"She wanted you there."

"Her and Henry. Please stop ignoring he's the only reason I'm here. I doubt she'd even talk to me in general if it weren't for him."

Ruby laughed. "Of course not, you're disgusting."

"You're awesome. I mean you're such a great person? How have you not won a humanitarian award by now?"

"Batty Blanchard gets all of them."

"Wow." Emma rolled her eyes. She got up and threw her bottle away only to get another. "Speaking of, is she always weird with everyone? Like.. I feel like she just looks at me funny."

Ruby grinned over her ice cream and shrugged. "Maybe she's into you."

"Shut up - I'm being serious."

"No.. she's always been weird. My mom went to school with her and Grannie said she got knocked up in high school but no one ever saw the kid... and then she became this weird loner and never dated again. Or did anything other than school."

"Oh."

Ruby turned around. "Just oh?"

"Well, that doesn't make her weird... she was probably just hurting. Giving up a baby is hard."

"It was a different time, though. Getting pregnant in high school made you... I don't know I was trying to say something smart, but basically people stopped talking to her."

Emma sat back down. "I wonder why she didn't just leave."

"I don't know. Nobody does."

They just sat there for a while before Ruby did her makeup and went to the diner for the evening shift, leaving Emma to wonder if this lady felt half as lonely as she had for most of her life.

* * *

Before she even started to her door, she wanted to go to sleep. No helping with homework or making dinner, she just wanted her bed and to sleep for as long as possible.

But entering her home, all of Regina's attention went to getting to the kitchen as fast as possible. She couldn't understand the individual words, just the fact that they were being screamed and Henrys crying behind it. And then everything was processed in hyper speed- Graham's finger shaking in Henry's face, and the helpless look he was giving back. She moved in between them and pushed her fiance back and knelt down to hug Henry hard. The fact the little boy only cried harder and held onto her fiercely only worried her more.

"Don't baby him, Re-"

It didn't take her a moment before she snapped around and glared at him. "No."

The growl set the Sheriff on edge, though his glare stayed there.

Regina stood up and moved Henry behind her, keeping her thumb rubbing little circles on his arm. "Get out."

"Wh-"

"I don't want you to say anything. You're not going to talk to my son that way. Ever. I don't care what happened, that's unacceptable."

He took a step forward looking down at her. "What's unacceptable is the fact you don't punish your child. He thinks he can-"

"Honey, go upstairs, I'll be there soon." She moved him gently.

But Graham's hand shot out to stop him. "He can stay."

Regina pushed him back with a force he'd never seen before, and walked Henry to the stairs. He ran up, and no sooner was the Mayor back in the kitchen, vibrating with a fire in her eyes.

"I swear if you defend him-"

"Get your shit, and leave." Her arms crossed in front of her and her voice was just over a whisper, but she stared at him with her jaw set. "You can spend the night at the station. I'll move the rest of your things to the guest room until you find yourself a new place to live."

His mouth hung open.

"I don't want to see you talking to Henry again. I don't care if he sets fire to the church you call me and I'll handle it."

"You're being ridiculous."

Regina shook her head. "No, I think I'm finally seeing things clearly."

"Because I'm taking the fatherly role in his life? I'm finally giving him actual discipline? You're going to call off everything because I'm doing what you're too soft to do. He needs consequence in his world - all you do-"

"Screaming and belittling a child is not being a father, it's being a bully. You're a grown man, and he's eleven years old."

"He's a spoiled brat! You don't see that?"

Regina took her ring off and threw it in his face. "You know what I see? A coward. A man who's threatened by a little boy. Instead of being an adult, and caring for him and teaching him, you're projecting - you think making him feel as small as you feel, that you'll win. So congratulations. You've won your freedom. I expect you gone by the end of the week."

There was yelling behind her, but Regina just walked away.

Glass shattered and she just closed her eyes and kept up the stairs, went into Henry's room and held him tight. She kissed his head and apologized more times than she could count, telling him how much she loved him. He just kept crying until he fell asleep, and Regina still didn't leave - she waited until his breathing evened out and his mouth fell open before she cried.

* * *

Emma glared at the door as she opened it.

It was the first day she was supposed to open by herself and the door was already unlocked. Her skin pricked beneath the collar of her jacket, as she jogged back to her bug and got the aluminum bat from behind her seat before going back in.

The last thing she expected to see was the Sheriff snoring on the small cot in the jail cell, his boots hanging off the end.

Scratch that - the last thing she expected to see were the deputy sheriff papers sitting on her desk, presumably put there by Graham himself.

Without thinking, she went over and shook him with the end of her bat.

He woke with a start, putting his arms up as if to protect his face. "What?"

"Are you drunk?"

"No!" He scoffed, but coughed and rubbed his eyes like he was going to be grappling with a mean hangover in a few minutes.

She just looked at him like a pair of dirty underwear that wasn't her own. "Did Regina tell you to give me the application?"

Graham groaned and sat up. "No, I put it there."

"What? Why?"

"You're qualified." He said, a little more angrily than she thought was appropriate.

Emma shrugged. "Yeah, but I've only done like four shifts. How would you-"

"Just fill it out. Okay? Regina wants you to. Just do it."

"I thought-"

"I'm going to get coffee."

He walked down the hallway with heavy steps, coming back in to get the keys to the patrol car and his wallet, leaving Emma with a weird feeling and paperwork she was already filling out.

* * *

Regina swore she'd cycled through every chair in that damn waiting room about six times. Blood work shouldn't take so long to come back - good, bad, or in between.

Finally getting called back made tears well in her eyes from anticipation alone. In the back of her mind Emma was on repeat telling her she was pregnant; _I don't think it's cancer_. Maybe that was why she didn't understand when the Dr. Whale said it. She had him repeat himself a few times before the tears actually rolled in. And all he could do was stand there, eventually sending a nurse in because they weren't happy tears.

Regina called the office and told them she wouldn't be in today, thinking over options and hating what little she had to choose from. Yet not telling Graham wasn't an option she could consider. And even in racing home it was one of the longest drives she'd ever taken. The patrol car was in the driveway, and with the way her entire stomach was churning she was surprised she didn't have to make a pit stop to throw up her breakfast in the bushes before she went in.

There were more stairs than she remembered, and the house seemed so different.

"Graham?"

She heard shuffling from her room and opened the door slowly, watching as he glanced back at her, then kept going through his things.

"Graham, we need to talk."

"Oh?" He threw a few more clothes in a bag and ran a hand through his hair. "What about?"

"I know you're angry-"

"No. I'm not angry at all." Sarcasm oozed from his tone, wrinkling his nose for a moment before his eyebrows went up. "I'm peachy. What do you want to talk about Regina."

A knot in her throat appeared and she cupped her elbows in her hands, hesitating. "..Have you found somewhere.. Are you going anywhere in particular."

"Grannies for a week. Then I have a flight to Virginia Thursday."

"Virginia?"

He nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I got accepted into training for the FBI. So I'm leaving." He stood up again, tossing things between the trash and a duffel bag. "I gave Emma the deputy application, so after you approve that, all you'll have to do is promote her after I leave."

"You didn't tell me you applied for the FBI."

"I didn't think I'd get in." He shrugged like a child.

Regina gulped down the anxiety in her throat.

"I don't think I would have gone, but I guess I don't have anything to stay for now."

He didn't look back at her like he expected her to say something like she expected him to. But he didn't seem confident in himself either.

"Graham-"

"You know what bothers me about all of this? More than anything?"

She shook her head before tilting it up to blink back tears.

"How... what, five years of me keeping my mouth shut - letting you deal with him by yourself, and the minute I try and put a foot down and act like a parent, which is something you should do when I'm about to be his step father, you kick me out. You just-"

"That's not what a parent does." Her lip finally turned under and she wiped tears away carefully. "Parents love and protect. And I should have stepped in far sooner than I did, but I honestly thought it would just hit you one day. You'd have this feeling, because you've known him since I got him that you would just love him. But you went in.. the _complete_ opposite direction and I won't put my son through having to walk on eggshells so you can assert your dominance."

Graham nodded with a sneer. "Alright, Regina. Okay."

There was a long silence and Regina turned away to try to compose herself. "Graham."

" _What!?_ " He yelled. "What. Is there left to say? I'm leaving, Regina! I-"

"I'm pregnant."

His head swiveled back on his neck dramatically. "Are you fucking joking?"

She hid her face in her hands as the sobs ripped from her body, simply shaking her head.

"You're kidding. Is this some pathetic attempt to keep me here?"

"No." She leaned against the door frame heavily and kept dabbing away tears. "Absolutely not. I don't want to marry you regardless, but you're the father, so you should know."

"I don't believe you."

She shook her head. "You don't have to. I'm telling you so my conscience is clear. Go - I'll be fine."

"Right. I'm not fit to be a parent anyway, right?"

He pushed past her a few moments later, carrying the majority of his clothing with him.

The brunette gave up the fight with her sorrow and cried into her palms, feeling helpless and alone. It was the exact opposite of what she'd imagined telling Graham she was pregnant would be a year ago. Her heart broke for the life she was so ready to lead.

She spent the next few hours gathering up the rest of his things and wandering around the house checking everything over to see if she missed anything. Everything from his toiletries to the jewelry box he made for her and in between ended up in the corner of the front room waiting to be taken away. Her mind swam back and forth from what her life could have been like and what it might be now, and wondering if maybe he could still change, even though her gut told her it wouldn't happen. The fantasies of Graham seeing his child for the first time drifted in and out, thinking of ways to tell Henry... or when to tell him. Everything seemed so overwhelming and unfair.

By the time Henry opened the door, Regina calmed herself enough not to let tears slide from her eyes anymore. Not that the will wasn't there- every possible emotion could prompt them at any second. And sure enough, his silent hug made her throat start to close up and her eyes burn all over again.

"How was school?"

He nodded. "Good."

Henry looked at her in understood ignorance - knowing he couldn't understand what she was feeling, but happy she was just his mother again.

"Where's Emma?" She asked.

He looked at the door. Regina followed his eyes and saw the blonde holding a sympathetic smile with both of her hands in her pockets.

She closed the door and Henry took another embrace from his mother before bounding up the stairs.

"Henry told me what happened."

Regina nodded and led them both into the living room.

"Or.. most of it."

She massaged her own neck. "They were just.. fighting. Henry said he was doing the dishes and putting the wine glasses back in the liquor cabinet..." She gulped and shook her head. "And Graham thought he was going to take alcohol? He's eleven- he.."

"You don't have to talk about it, but... If you need any help-" Emma tried to look at her the way Regina had, with all of that compassion.

Regina sat down and shook her head, looking toward the stairs.

It took a few moments before Emma could get the courage to sit down next to her, just waiting. Her chest was tight, hating herself for still loving the way Regina's lips turned down at the ends as she stared off at pictures on the mantle.

Finally she sighed and prepared for the water works again. "He was... I came home from work and he was just screaming at Henry, and Henry looked so scared... and I let that happen. And I hate myself. I hate that I would put so much hope into just making this family for him, that I couldn't see all of the pieces didn't fit together. Graham's not ready for that." Her head rolled forward as her fingers caught her forehead. "And I'm pregnant..." She threw a teary smile in that looked completely forced. "But I told him and he didn't care. He's leaving for-" She looked back up at Emma trying to keep all of the words going. "He's always wanted to join the FBI but he's really going. I don't think I care he's leaving, it's just the fact he doesn't care- I'm going have a baby alone and I'm not getting married, and Henry had to go through over a year of me not being present for him, how can I go from Graham to a new baby-"

Emma scooted forward and put Regina's arms around her neck quickly, hugging her tightly and rubbing her back hard. "It's okay."

She'd never done it before, but comforting Regina was like breathing. It was easy, and letting her cry onto her shoulder made her feel like she had a purpose. She took deep breaths, trying to get Regina to follow them to calm her. But she needed to let go, and if Emma was ready for anything, it was to be strong for someone else. The past six months let her forgive the world for a lot that had happened to her by giving her these people. Now she was ready to give back to them. It didn't matter if she got back the love she'd only just accepted. The point was she had it. She had love to give and support to offer, and something to stick around for.

"Regina.." She pulled back and put her hand over Regina's wrist.

She kept crying, but Emma smiled, thinking how beautiful she was crying too.

"I don't know wh-what to do."

"That's okay." Emma smiled and put her other hand on Regina's elbow, letting her thumb slide back and forth gently. "You don't have to _do_ anything for a minute. You can just breathe.. and figure things out as they come. But you can stop worrying about Henry because he loves you. And you are a great mom. You already raised one amazing kid on your own and you can do it again."

She looked up at Emma, still sniffling.

"But you don't have to." She shrugged. "I'll help? I mean I don't know anything, but I'll learn. You let me get to know Henry, and have somewhere I feel... I've never thought I'd have anywhere I would feel I belonged. But I love you guys." She took a breath, saying it out loud hitting her for a quick moment. "I love being here. And-"

Regina leaned over and hugged her harder, collapsing into tears again, but nodding nonetheless.

She went right back into damage control and held on to the brunette with a force.

"Thank you."

Emma smiled sadly, knowing Regina deserved better than what was happening to her. "Of course."

After Regina got hold of herself again, she let go of the blonde and dabbed at her face.

"You're going to be okay."

She nodded, then smiled awkwardly. "You were right."

Emma turned her head.

"It's not cancer." Regina took a breath and let herself lean back against the couch, her hands naturally falling over her middle.

It was clear the reality was hitting her - it wasn't something she was rushing to tell, or resenting herself for. Her life was about to change all over again. Emma saw it all playing out on her face before she could say it.

Regina looked down at her hands in awe. "I'm having a baby."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to Sammichbatch because she is majestic and perfect and having all of the answers! Seriously, this thing is so much more polished and makes more sense because she's helping me. I give her so much credit.

Cora grinned and opened the door for her daughter and grandson. "Hello dears!" She hugged them both and looked behind them.

Regina looked behind her and frowned, realizing the intention.

"No Graham? I thought you said he could make it today?"

Henry dipped his head down and continued back into the house.

The older woman looked back at her daughter with a scowl not meant for her. "What did he do?"

"Mother."

"Regina, what happened?"

She shook her head and put her purse and cardigan on the coat rack. "I was going to wait until after brunch."

"Too late now - come. Sit down." She swept some hair off of her shoulder and pat the sofa across from her, sitting on the decorative chair right next to it.

It took most of her composure not to droop her shoulders and drag her feet like a child, but she sat down and took a breath. "Graham and I aren't together anymore."

Cora nodded, trying her hardest to look understanding and not nosy, or honestly elated.

"I came home, he was reprimanding Henry-"

"For what? That's not his place! He-"

Regina closed her eyes and shook her head, waiting for her to stop.

She quieted herself and placed her hands in her lap. "What happened?"

"According to Henry, he'd just gotten home from school, and Graham had asked him to do the dishes, and he did. He was putting the wine glasses away and Graham came back in the Kitchen and thought he was trying to steal liquor-"

"Henry's eleven years old, what would he want with alcohol?"

Regina nodded, looking at the ground.

Cora put a hand on her arm. "Darling, you don't think he had any merit in what he was accusing Henry of?"

"Oh no." She shook her head. "Absolutely not." She blinked heavily for a moment. Her shoulders tensed. "I just... I'm disappointed in myself for letting him go through that. I never thought Graham would treat Henry that way, but it's my fault for not protecting him."

"Regina."

She shrugged.

There was a moment of silence, and Cora moved next to her daughter and took her hand, not saying a word, and not pressuring her to talk, even though it was all over Regina's expression there was so much more. She just waited, giving her room to gather her words.

Regina angled herself to look at her mother and made her face strong again. "He's leaving this week, for the FBI academy.. Even though I told him I was pregnant."

Cora's hand went over her mouth immediately. "Really?"

Regina nodded, smiling tearfully.

"That's wonderful!"

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "It is not!" She looked behind her, making sure Henry wasn't within an earshot. "It's stressful and overwhelming - I never planned on having another baby alone."

"You had Henry by yourself."

"That's different - I decided to have him. I signed papers and went through having to prove myself as worthy to be a parent. I had no intention of getting pregnant until after the wedding, if _at all_. Well.. there won't be a wedding now. I just-" She shook her head with another breath. "I'm just not prepared. I'm sure I will be by the time the baby's here, but thinking of it now just makes my head spin."

Cora brought her daughter in, and hugged her tight.

"Is this affection?"

She hit the back of Regina's head comically. "Stop it."

The younger woman rested her head on her mother's shoulder and sighed, leaving a bit of weight behind.

"When are you going to tell Henry."

She shrugged, still curled against Cora. "Emma's helping me with all of that. Reconnecting and explaining things to him on his level."

"Perfect. After all, they're intellectually similar aren't they? Assuming Henry hasn't passed her up yet."

"You're terrible." She pulled back, swallowing down another tiny bout of nausea.

"I'm sorry." Her hand went to Regina's knee. "She's been around a bit more than you planned."

Regina looked back toward Henry again. "I don't mind." Looking turned into staring at him before she smiled "Actually, I think she's becoming a wonderful friend. I.. I really do enjoy having her around."

Cora's eyebrows rose. But she simply squeezed Regina's knee and stood up. "Aright. Let's go eat."

"You wouldn't like to further delve into my sorrows?"

"Not for the moment. There will be plenty of time for that in your third trimester."

Regina simply smiled and followed her into the dining room.

* * *

Everything started to slow down from then on.

Regina was right - when you go too fast in a quiet town everything rushes by you. It'd felt like fifteen minutes since she got her apartment in town, and that was over six months before. The five-hour drives between Brooklyn and Storybrooke went from twice a week to every other day, picking up Henry from school and more or less taking over at the station. By week two, Emma signed all of the necessary forms to end her lease in her old apartment, and moved the rest of her things to Maine.

Waking up in the morning suddenly meant a nine to five and supervising people that knew her name. And now that Graham had disappeared from the face of the earth, it was her job to be 'Acting Sheriff' until she was legally allowed to be promoted, pick up Henry from school and start him on his homework. Regina would get back from the office and go between her study, helping Henry with math and teaching Emma how to cook whatever it was they were having for dinner that night.

Which meant lasagna for the third time, because that was always Henry's answer when asked what he wanted.

A particularly tired looking Regina peeked back in the kitchen as Emma looked after the sauce that night. "How's it going in here?"

Emma crunched her face up. "You'd think I'd get the hang of this since it's all you guys ever eat."

"You'd think!" She smiled, taking a hair tie off of her wrist and handing it to the blonde. "Put that mop up. I would prefer not to pull long blonde strands out of my food, thank you."

She rolled her eyes. "I can't wait until you get fat."

Regina laughed, which slowly turned into a frown. Emma hated that look, not knowing if it was going to turn into a quiet Regina for the rest of the night, or her running for the bathroom again, or if she'd go back to smiling and being super woman again. Not that she'd ask what was wrong - the answer was written all around them in empty picture frames and half of the things Graham never picked up.

"Hey." She stepped closer and elbowed the brunette softly. "Go lay down. I'll come get you when dinner's ready."

Her eyebrows hit the ceiling. "And leave you to poison us all?"

"Shut up!" Emma shook her head and took over laying the... noodle sheets in the pan. Whatever those things were called. "See - worst comes to worst we move up left over night, and you know never to trust me with food again."

Regina looked at her.

"I mean it. You're exhausted. And this is me helping - go relax for half a second."

It took a moment, but she looked to Henry in the other room, and then the floor. "So you'll help with homework?"

"Yup."

"And finish dinner?"

Emma smiled obnoxiously.

"...Alright." She rolled her eyes with that smile that made Emma die a little bit inside. "Henry's almost done anyway. He knows the recipe fairly well."

"Excuse me? You think I need help from an eleven year old?"

Regina took her time getting to the hallway. "Oh, I think you need all the help you can get."

"I hope you're just talking about the food."

"Sure." And with a wink, she started up the stairs.

Emma had been right about the exhaustion - Regina would no sooner paint herself blue than admit that Emma being right was happening more and more often. She kicked off her heels and let her head hit the pillow.

Then out of nowhere, Emma was perched on the edge of her bed smiling lightly.

"You know you sleep with your mouth open?"

She felt her face wrinkle. "No, I don't."

"You absolutely do. Like all the way open. You were snapping up flies before I woke you up."

"Is dinner ready?"

The blonde looked away. "Sorta?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Emma shifted, bringing a knee up to her chin but Regina hit it away quickly.

"No shoes. Not on the comforter."

She kicked off her boots and crossed her legs. "So... somehow I managed to burn the edges but the middle wasn't cooked at all."

Regina covered her eyes as she laughed.

"Henry and I got pizza instead."

"Oh, good."

Her hand fell on to her stomach as it had been doing on what seemed like instinct, and Emma's eyes followed. It took a minute but she pointed awkwardly. "Is it all... weirdly firm yet?"

"My belly?"

Emma nodded.

"Yeah, I was thinking about it today actually. It is rather odd." She grabbed Emma's hand and pressed it into her flesh, demonstrating. "It's like my body started protecting it right away."

The younger woman tugged her hand away and shrugged. "I guess it does."

Regina looked at her skeptically. She hadn't really wanted to participate in baby-talk. Not that Regina did too much of it, but she didn't entirely understand. She sat up a bit and crossed her arms. "How long until it starts moving?"

Emma shrugged. "I can't really remember." There was an odd look that passed over her features before her eyes moved up to the ceiling. "I remember that.. like a couple months before I had him, this really old Mexican lady was arrested. Nobody knew what she did - even the girls who spoke Spanish, she wouldn't talk to anyone. And she had those really awful drawn on eyebrows."

Regina hummed a soft laugh.

"At night she would sing these songs - they sounded like lullabies, in Spanish and the little shit kicked me all night long."

"Really?"

Emma nodded.

"I used to sing him lullabies in Spanish. It was the only thing that would calm him down."

She smiled bigger and tossed a look toward the door. "I guess that means he was always supposed to be yours."

"Yeah..." Her eyes went down to her stomach again. "I guess it does."

There was a soft silence between the two before Emma shifted a bit closer and brought her knees up to rest her chin on. "When are you going to tell him?"

"My mother asked me the same thing last weekend."

"AAaaaaand what did you say?"

Regina made a face, but didn't answer.

"Not that you have to tell him soon - I'm sure he won't notice for a while. But chances are he'll notice the beach ball under your shirt if you hold off too long."

She shrugged and gave another sigh. But it wasn't the usual weighted sigh that had been common over the past few weeks. Her eyes went to her fingers, tinkering with her nails. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah." Emma stayed quiet, leaving Regina the floor to voice whatever needed without pressure.

Her mouth popped out a bit, like her tongue was sliding over her teeth behind her lips. "I... I was wondering if you remembered the process of signing your rights away."

All Emma could do was raise her eyebrows.

Regina sat forward shaking her head. "I don't want to give the baby away- that's not-" Her fingers swept through her hair quickly. "I just think... Graham just left. He didn't-"

The tears came out of nowhere, and without being asked Emma crawled up the bed beside Regina and put an arm around her easily, running her thumb up and down the small section of bicep it could reach. The brunette wasn't really crying so much as whimpering, and Emma didn't mind. She'd have fun calling her 'preggers' or 'whiny' as soon as she started crying over something stupid, which was bound to happen here soon.

The older woman dabbed the tears away and just rested her head on Emma's shoulder.

"You want Graham to sign his rights over." Emma finished.

Regina nodded.

"I think it's a good idea."

"I think it's necessary. He's not ready to be a father... a fact I took much too long to realize."

Emma squeezed her a little. "Stop blaming yourself. He's an asshole. I guess he's a really responsible asshole... and he was attractive-ish."

Regina laughed.

"No. I didn't think he was hot at all. I don't know what you saw in him. Not even a little bit."

"He was just there." She shrugged. "No- He was there, and... as much as it didn't seem like it, he made me feel wanted. I haven't been in _many_ relationships by any means, but he made me feel important to him. He made time for me." She had to gulp down the knot in her throat. "I'd been lonely for so long, and he filled a space I was sure I'd never find in this town. And I miss him."

Emma frowned at herself, but just wrapped her other arm around the brunette as soon as her lip curled under. This time she cried, but Emma didn't shy away like she was so sure she would.

"I don't know.. I don't think I miss him. I miss what I convinced myself he was. I made him perfect in my head so I could ignore all of the things that were wrong." A strangled laugh ripped out from behind the tears. "God, I hate it when you're right."

"What?"

She pulled back and wiped her face. "We had that fight - a couple weeks after Henry found you-"

"Right..." Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. "Shit, that was awful."

"You called it immediately - you saw how terribly everything was working, and I was right there. I couldn't."

"It's okay." She rubbed Regina's back carefully. "You were too close - you just had that picture of how everything could be and that kinda.. clouded everything that was really happening. It's not your fault."

"I keep trying to believe that."

"And keep trying. You won't get it immediately, but you'll see. It's okay."

Regina just smiled, looking at Emma and her kindness, giving even though she'd obviously been given so little.

"What?"

Regina shook her head. "I'm just really happy you're here."

"Mom?"

They both looked toward the door, Henry peeking in with marinara on the corner of his mouth.

She dabbed away the last of her tears with the back of her hand.

"You okay?"

Emma made a point of staring at Regina and then gave her a look - eyes to Henry and then down to her stomach, and Regina knew she was right. She even coached her through a deep breath before Regina looked back toward the little boy and patted in front of them on the bed.

He didn't waste any time hopping up and looking between the two, unassuming.

Regina licked her finger and smudged the sauce off of his face.

He batted her hand away, but couldn't stop her from being a mom.

"That's gross."

Emma flicked his wrist. "You're gross - she was getting shit off your face."

Regina looked at her.

"Crap. Crap off your face."

Henry laughed at them before turning back to his mother, raising his eyebrows gently. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She nodded touching his nose. "I'm just emotional. I think I will be for a while, actually."

"Why?"

Emma's hand went to her back, and she took another breath.

"Henry.. you know I love you more than anything."

He nodded.

"And that I'll always love you, no matter what?"

"Yeah."

Regina touched his leg. "Honey... I'm going to have a baby."

"What?!"

He jumped off the bed and Regina immediately closed her eyes to the next downpour of tears.

"You're pregnant?"

Emma opened her mouth, ready to put out the fire but Henry's scream made them both sit back a bit. That and the smile that accompanied it took them both by surprise.

"Is it a boy or a girl? Can I have a little brother? I promise I'll clean my room forever - it'll always be clean. I just want a little brother, mom, PLEASE?"

They both collapsed into laughter, and Regina into another fit of crying. Only this time they were happy tears.

Henry kept bouncing around the room asking all of his ridiculous questions. Regina had to get up and hug him so he'd stay in one place. Though it only lasted a few seconds before he bent down and talked into Regina's belly.

"Baby - I think you should be a boy, okay? Can you come out a boy? I'll share all of my old toys with you? And we can build forts and-"

"Henry."

He looked up grinning.

"You're really happy about this?"

"Yeah! Duh! I get to be a big brother." His hands stayed on her sides as he looked up at her.

Regina brought him back in and squeezed him tight to her.

The whole time Emma just stared at them, wondering how she could be so happy and so sad at the same time. In some small way, she made what was happening in front of her - that tiny family was only because she gave Henry up, or that she'd gotten pregnant in the first place. But she wanted more than anything to be in that hug with them, and somehow it seemed just out of reach. Like she was welcome to be a close family friend, but not quite family.

Not that it mattered. This was as close to family as she'd ever come, and she wasn't about to start complaining now. She had her role in their life and it was more than enough.

Regina looked over and smiled at Emma before bending down to look Henry in the eye.

"You know what I think the baby wants?"

Henry shook his head.

"Some of that pizza."

"Yeah?"

"What kind is it?" She pushed him toward the door, throwing a glance behind her and nodding out the door for Emma to follow.

She slid off the bed and got her shoes, following the two out the door.

Regina turned around and wrapped her arms around Emma's neck. And Emma being the terrified, overgrown infant she was, all she did was laugh and pat Regina's shoulder in return.

"What's this for?"

Regina shrugged, not letting go. "For being here. And being wonderful to us."

She had to gulp down all of her anxiety before shimmying away. "I'm average on a good day." Emma smiled and pointed down the stairs. "We got you a veggie pizza... by the way."

Regina just looked at her for a moment, then gave up and squinted at the wall.

"Is it awful that I think that sounds amazing with some peanut butter?"

"Fucking. Ew. Oh my god. We're not friends. Don't talk to me."

* * *

Emma held the door open as Regina ushered Henry through the door.

"Mom, this looks just like where I get shots."

Regina threw a look toward Emma which could only read as _'this has happened before_ ' or _'hit him._ ' And you bet your ass Emma wouldn't hit him - not after what had just happened when a dude Regina was going to marry raised his voice at him.

"Kiddo, we're here for your mom. I don't think she would lie to you."

Henry shook his head and pointed at the brunette as soon as his butt was in the chair up against the wall. "No. One time, I was little and she told me they were going to test me to see if I was a mutant." He looked at Emma with intent. "Mutants aren't real Emma. She lied."

"I _did_ do that." Regina nodded, smiling to herself.

Emma just leaned against the wall, folding her arms across her chest as the nurse smiled and closed the door. Regina got on the doctor table... thing, and looked at them. "Are there any comic books you haven't read, then?"

"There has to be. I can't read every comic book. That's impossible."

"Is it impossible, Mr. Smarty-Britches? Are you the one who declares things are impossible?"

"I can do that."

Emma raised both of her hands in surrender. "Damn - I should just give you my badge now. You know _way_ more than I do."

He smiled and looked at the ceiling. "I would look cooler in that badge anyway. I would be a way better Sheriff than you."

"I'm still deputy.. for now."

He nodded. "Yeah. You can't even get Sheriff yet, I should just do it now."

"Shut up. Your feet couldn't even reach the pedals in the cruiser."

"Bikes have pedals, Emma. Not cars."

" _You two.._." Regina spoke louder, turning both of their attention to her. "I'll put you both in the cruiser and see the baby all by myself." She winked at them and took a breath.

It was quiet for a moment before Henry got up and walked over to the sonogram machine, looking it over with his hands firmly in his pockets.

"Why couldn't your mom come?"

Regina turned her head toward Emma but didn't take her eyes off of her son. "She's meeting with some of our friends and spreading all of the... new gossip. Delicately I hope." She glanced back with the burdened stare that told her all of the gossip was about her. "I didn't want to be there for all of the fake sympathy and probing questions. I'd much rather deal with it in waves."

Emma offered a joyless smile. "Fun."

"How are we going to see the baby with this thing?"

"Henry, please don't touch anything."

He held up his hands and the bottom of his coat with it, having them still in his pockets.

"Sit back down please."

A moment after Henry was back in the chair, an older woman walked in the room with a warm smile. Her hair was up in a neat bun.

Emma didn't catch her name between her only nodding and introducing herself on her way to the machine like her heels would get chopped off if she didn't get there as soon as possible. She asked Regina to lay down and put a little plastic looking blue napkin thing on her lap and tucked it into her dress pants. It all made Emma want to kick her in the teeth - Regina looked uncomfortable and out of place. She could at least explain a little better. All she did was tell her the blue stuff was going to feel a little cold. But thank god for the blue gunk - if anything could make Regina's stomach area look less attractive it would be that. And Emma should have probably stopped staring at her stomach by now.

She turned to Emma and made a face.

All the blonde could do was nod. "I remember that shit."

Everyone looked at her.

"Sorry. I'm working on the swearing - I really am." She shrugged.

Regina smiled before the... fuck, nobody knows what that things called. Emma always thought it looked like an eyeball so sure. The mechanical eyeball pressed into her stomach and the weird static noise started from the machine.

"How far along are you?"

"Uhm.. Dr. Whale wasn't sure. I came in for blood work two weeks ago, and it came back that I was pregnant. I was told this was supposed to estimate the due date and such." She nodded.

A small gushing sound started going, softer and louder again at the same time a little ball started flickering, inside of a slightly bigger ball inside of a dark part of the screen.

"Where's the baby?" Henry asked, leaning forward in the seat.

Regina waved him over. "Stand on this side."

She grabbed his hand so he was well out of the way of the technician but could still see the screen.

The older woman pointed as she dragged and dropped a shape that zoomed in a bit. "Do you see this blob right here?"

Henry nodded.

Regina just squinted as she followed along as well.

"This is the baby. And this dot inside - with that little flap moving..." She moved her mouse over the part she just finished pointing to. "That's the baby's heart."

"It has a heart beat?" Regina's head turned.

Emma took her coat off carefully and slipped it under Regina's head.

Luckily she was too busy staring to pay attention and Emma could stay closer to look too.

They all sat there like they were watching Saturday morning cartoons as the lady took pictures of the little gummy bear looking thing. She kept pointing out features, but the head looked just like the feet only a little bigger, and everything kept shifting around anyway.

"I'd say you're a good seven to nine weeks."

"And everything's normal?"

She nodded. "Absolutely."

What looked eerily like a sigh of relief passed over Regina's face and Emma kept watching all of the emotion play out through her eyes. Like everything was setting in and becoming life. Not something that happened _to_ her anymore.

And Emma didn't have a choice. She jumped in that moment and made a decision. Her hand went over Regina and Henry's clasped hands and squeezed carefully.

Regina smiled up at her for a moment.

It didn't last long, but Emma felt it. She was there, and there to stay. There's no reason Regina would have asked her here if she wasn't wanted or if it wasn't important. And just a small part of her well constructed defenses crumbled away in that moment.

This was her family, conventional or not.

It was something to be a part of, that she could care about and protect. She didn't need all of her feelings returned because she had them. And that was so much more than just her validation.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Sammichbatch, who also has a ton going on in her life, yet she still takes the time out to help me with all of my stupid gramatical mistakes and reassures me and makes me at least a little less insane for the moment! Ya'll should check out her page too - she's wonderful.

Henry sprang from the ultrasound room immediately doing a slide on his knees down the hallway, air guitar and all.

Cora gave him a particularly intimidating look that made him get back to his feet, though not without his beaming smile.

"I was right! Let the record show - I was right."

Emma laughed at him, noting the same exact expression on Regina's face. A face that had gotten a bit rounder over the past couple months but not at all less beautiful.

"Henry, please calm down." She said in her very patient way.

"I can't! I'm getting a little brother."

He jumped again and Cora grabbed a hold of his hand. "We're all excited, but you can wait until we get outside to act like a heathen."

Emma leaned over so only Regina could hear. "I'm the heathen influence, right?"

"Yes." Regina whispered back.

She nodded. "Good."

Cora turned around with a grin for only her daughter. "Do you think you're ready to handle _two_ boys?"

Regina's hand went to her belly, now just barely enough to rest her hand atop of. "I suppose I'll have to be."

Henry kept rambling on over sordid glances his grandmother made to his biological mother, to which Emma ignored completely. The few times she'd picked the kid up from her house, the older woman had made it blatantly clear she wasn't supportive of the idea he would be in her care without Regina at all, even if it was only for a few hours.

Regina on the other hand held on to her elation that everything was still going to plan. Her belly measured to size, even if she was carrying a bit low, and that the baby was healthy and still growing on schedule. She got her phone out, ready to return the volume when she noticed the missed calls and the lack of voice messages.

She elbowed Emma and showed her.

"Weird."

"I know."

"Just deal with it when we get back to the house."

Regina nodded. "Do you have to work?"

Emma shook her head. "No, I have Sean covering until I do graveyard."

"Sean..."

"Sean Herman. Like Ashley and Sean. They just had their baby-"

"Right! That's right. How are they?"

Emma shrugged. "They're struggling, but I was going to ask you at the end of the month if I could hire him on? He's awesome with people and he follows instructions to the T. And it would be a huge raise from what he's making at the auto shop."

"Absolutely. I'll look over his volunteer forms and get back to you this week. I forgot I'd approved him." Her tone was flat, her thumb going in circles over her phone in her pocket.

"What are you two mumbling about?" Cora tried to be playful, though it was all but painfully obvious as they made it to the elevator she was tired of not being the first to hear about what was happening with her daughter's family. And the fact her advice wasn't being taken. Emma hadn't just taken over Graham's duties but offered Regina a sounding board that wasn't there to talk down to her, just offer her opinion instead of demonstrating the divine and absolute authority Cora obviously thought she had.

Regina smiled and shrugged. "Work things. Hiring on extra hands at the station."

"Volunteers help, but it's hard to keep the schedule we need right now."

"Can't handle it on your own?"

Emma's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?"

"Mother." Regina sighed, her head falling behind her to the fake wood paneling on the elevator wall.

The doors opened with a ding and they all filed out, Henry looking up at the adults around him and just barely aware of the tension rooted between them.

"Can we stop for ice cream on the way home?"

"No." Emma and Regina reply together.

Cora eyed both of them as they shared the smallest of smirks over Henry's never ending pushing of boundaries.

They'd gotten to a point where they were on the same page more of the time than not. Everything was still up to Regina as far as Henry was concerned, and Emma never failed to ask any and all questions that she thought necessary - but there was a trust there that Regina didn't seem to give to anyone else. Even the blonde saw her apprehension in allowing others into her life, and she wondered what she'd actually done to deserve such treatment, not that she would ever think to question it with the simple fear of it being questioned and the chance it could disappear.

Cora on the other hand questioned it every chance she had, reminding Regina how little she actually knew of the woman who'd given her Henry. And yet, all she did was shrug off her concern and change the subject.

"I'm afraid I must be off, then."

Regina looked to her mother and gave a small smile, passing the keys off to Emma before returning Cora's embrace, pursing her lips as their cheeks brushed. "I'll call you in the morning."

"Very well, dear... and be good, _you_." She squeezed her grandson tight. Then refused to look at Emma as she got in her car, threw her shades on and raced away.

Emma just grinned to herself as she unlocked the Benz.

Regina scowled at her. "What?"

"I think she's warming up to me." Emma grinned obnoxiously.

All Regina could do was roll her eyes and ease herself into the passenger seat.

The ride home was nearly silent other than the sounds coming from Henry's video games and the grinding sound Regina's mind was making as her wheels turned.

Emma reached over and pinched her elbow lightly.

Regina looked like she was coming out of a trance, eyebrows up and eyes aware.

"You okay?"

She just nodded and sat back, getting out her phone again.

It wasn't until they were in the driveway and Henry had already started out of the car she held it up to her ear.

Emma threw another concerned look, but Regina smiled this time and nodded. "I'll be inside before too long."

And it would have set Emma's mind at ease if it had been real, but she knew the dismissive mom look by now - especially on Regina.

But it wasn't her place. None of this was her place, but she was invited and she needed to be wanted by people in the most basic ways. It was the only way she kept herself above water with all of her stupid emotions, what with knowing she loved Henry with everything she had now, and shifting between friendship and attraction with his mother every other day. She knew she didn't need to be... anything other than what they were with Regina. She didn't _need_ it. But she wanted it.

"I'll start up dinner."

And at this Regina's smile is real - surely because she knew now that Emma can _start_ most dinners by herself.

Emma set the keys on the seat before going up the drive as well, closing the door after Henry and kicking her shoes off.

"Where's mom?"

She nods back the way they came. "On the phone. She'll come in when she's done." She sighs, fatigue setting in her shoulders right after she lets her stretch subside. But she straightens up and waves him into the kitchen anyway. "Come help me start dinner."

"What about homework?"

"What about it?"

Henry looks at her, wide eyed and understanding.

She narrows her eyes at him. "You told your mom you finished it in the waiting room."

He looks at his socks, and Emma shakes her head.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry - get it out and if your mom asks tell her you forgot and have some to finish up."

"It's just math."

Emma laughs and squeezes his shoulder. "Good - then do it quick and maybe she'll believe you."

And Henry has to smile back because he knows she won't.

Henry stalked away, leaving his video games on the counter before setting up at the dining room table and Emma ran lettuce under the faucet - cool water, she'd learned. That and that grilled cheese works out best on low heat, and a shit ton of butter on the _outside_ of both sides of bread, that milk worked better in hot cocoa than water - that one came with the long realization that it's why her home made ones were never as good. She'd gone from two dinners a week to helping every night. Homework, helping Regina sort through all of her pregnancy books and online articles - then the forty hour weeks in the station or on patrol.

And no matter how tired she was, she'd get up and keep going, knowing how Henry looked at her when he finally understood that one question or the smile they'd get after his frustration died down.

Family.

It had taken her about a day and a half for her to realize she loved it, and then the following hour to promise to herself that she was going to do her best to make sure they were safe and comfortable. Even from a six minute walk or a two minute drive away.

The door closed and Emma realized she'd just been staring at the lettuce.

Regina walked in the kitchen only peeking in on Henry before going straight over to the blonde. "Katherine's coming over."

She nodded. "We have more than enough-"

"Graham... Graham's lawyer finally got back to us. And he's not happy. He already sent the DNA in for the paternity test, but he said he's not signing his rights over and that he's going to try and get custody-"

"He's not going to get the baby, Regina-"

"I know that." She nods. She seems a little red in the face and Emma can't help but squeeze her arm. Regina just sighs and leans against the counter sluggishly. "I know. I just wished this would go better than this. I didn't think it would but I certainly wished."

Emma offered a small smile before turning the faucet off and handing the lettuce over to Regina, not realizing the yawn she tucked into her arm as she did so.

And Regina's eyes stayed glued on her, taking in the barely-there blue that tinged the skin just under Emma's eyes. Her chest tightened a bit. "Didn't know you were in for all of this, did you?" She asked delicately.

"What do you mean?" Her voice muffled by the refrigerator door. She pulls back with more vegetables and preheats the oven.

Regina looked around. "You sort of fell into playing mommy number two." Her smile turned sad all of the sudden. "Not that I'm complaining. It just seems like more than you bargained for."

"I didn't bargain, Regina - I offered." She put her hair up in a messy bun, handing the almost defrosted chicken to Regina. "I mean... I'm not ready to do the raw meat thing yet, but I'm good with helping with everything else." She threw in with a cheeky grin.

She wanted to say more, but Regina just nodded.

It's not until dinner is almost ready and she's scolding Emma for the excessive amount of garlic butter that she actually looks at her, throwing all the waves of silliness away. "I don't want to ask too much of you."

"You think I can't handle some garlic bread?"

"That's not-"

"I know what you meant." Emma cut her off and let her smile fall away. "It's not easy and I know that. And I know it's only going to get harder, but you guys mean more to me than being a little bit tired, okay? If you really don't mind me being all in your business, then I want to help you."

"Just because I let you see Henry?"

"Because you're letting me play an active role in his life. You could have easily told me to get the fuck outta dodge, or called the cops, you could have done a hundred things that would have all been justified because you wanted to keep Henry safe, or... whatever reason. You could have let me walk away because I was scared too. But you did what was best for him. And you showed me what caring felt like."

She saw the change in Regina's face and took a breath.

"We'll have time to talk about all my shitty emotions later. Just... I promise I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. Don't worry about overworking me. Try and remember I really feel like I owe you guys. And I do."

Regina shook her head but smiled all the same, a hint of worry somewhere in there, but Emma decided she just wanted to move away from the whole thing. Shit got heavy way too fast and she didn't like the feeling. It made her want to hold the older woman's hand and that's not a good idea - that would be way too transparent and she wasn't ready to be that exposed to anyone.

So instead, Emma ran around the kitchen, all but ignoring Regina. She even called Henry in to set the table, and got most of the food out by herself.

"Should I get anything?" Regina asked quietly, a hint of surprise playing on her mouth.

Yet Emma finds it in herself to roll her eyes and move past Regina carefully, putting a hand on her belly as she reaches past to get the fancy napkin holders from their usual decorative place in the windowsill. "You can get the bread when it's done." Her fingers move quickly, both getting the little metal rings and making a small scratching motion on Regina's stomach. "I already have the serving dish out so you don't have to move it."

"I'm pregnant, not disabled."

Emma tisked. "Handi-capable. You're atrocious."

"Spell 'atrocious,' Emma!"

Henry laughed along with both of them, not understanding how it was funny. But the sound of the doorbell got him up and off of the couch like a bolt, opening the door and smiling at Katherine.

"Hi there, Henry." She grinned.

The little boy just grinned up at her, his blush wearing into his face.

Regina clicked down the hallway and hugged her quickly, both of their expressions sobering a bit.

"Henry-"

Emma waved her greeting and moved Henry back into the living room, not needing the thank you in Regina's eyes.

"They need to talk for a minute, kid."

He looked up at her, his upper lip curled in a blatant 'I don't care' way. "Why?"

"Because Katherine is your mom's lawyer and they have law stuff for them to talk about."

"That doesn't make sense. Mom doesn't do lawyer stuff anymore."

"What?"

Henry shrugged. "What?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Your mom used to do lawyer stuff."

"Yeah. Before I was born. She said that's why she's the mayor because she knew about the law and she worked at the town hall before." He said it like it was the most obvious thing that'd ever been said but it makes Emma peer into the other room as they look over papers - understanding the intensity with which Regina pours over the documents now. She bet she'd even had a big part in writing them too.

"That makes sense..."

* * *

"Hey!"

Mrs. Blanchard turned around with a warm smile and waved. "Hi there, Emma."

"Hi- glad I caught you." She handed over the envelope with her rent in it. "Sorry it's late. Dinner ran a little late."

"It's no trouble." The older woman shrugged and smiled, tiny fine lines starting to crease around her eyes. If Ruby's mother went to school with her, then she could only be about forty, Emma assumed- counting on the fact Ruby was only turning twenty two here soon, but she didn't seem much older than Regina aside from the minor creasing in her skin. Maybe she just had a young face.

She put the envelope in her purse without opening it and smiled back up at the blonde. "How is Regina. I haven't had the chance to see her since you've started picking up Henry."

"She's good. Her morning sickness stopped a few weeks ago and she's still in her heels, so... ya know. She's tough."

"Oh we all know."

"What?" She squinted.

Mrs. Blanchard pointed down the sidewalk. "I was going to go on a walk, if you'd like to join me?"

Emma stuck her hands in her pockets and nodded, starting on their way.

The older woman took a moment before starting in again. "I was just.. referring to the fact she's still been loyal to her position and not let, things affect her."

"Yeah." Emma nodded.

"I didn't mean it as though everyone gossips about her-"

"Although they do." Emma looked at her. "She knows. It's not hard to see."

"But not all of it's bad."

"None of it should be bad. She raises a child on her own, runs a town, and manages to do it with grace and professionalism. I think she should get a lot more credit than she does."

She nodded and looked at the pavement. "I think we're all just a little intimidated. It's easier to focus on the the little flaws than to praise her for all of the things that we've become used to her doing. So the fact that she's pregnant and single has drawn a lot more attention than it should."

Emma looked at her.

"I think she's brave."

"Me too."

"Do you like your name?"

Emma frowned, taken off guard completely. "What?"

"Do you like the name 'Emma?'" She shrugged. "I've always liked that name. When I was small, all of my baby dolls were named Emma."

"Oh. I mean... yeah. No one teased me for my name growing up, so. I guess it's okay. I've never really thought about it."

Mrs. Blanchard's eyes seemed far away for a good moment as she simply nodded. "I always told myself if I had a daughter, I'd name her Emma."

All she could think was that Ruby had been very right. This lady was a more than a little weird, but from what she'd seen of her, being alone as much as she was had probably taken it's tole. Lonely and regretful about giving up a baby. And Emma knew exactly how that felt.

"I thought Henry was going to be a girl."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I tried not to think about giving it a name, though - just because I knew I wouldn't keep him."

She flashed a questioning look up at the blonde, but didn't say anything.

"I was seventeen. And I didn't have any family to help me out, so I knew if I put him up for adoption right away - being a baby there would be parents all over the U.S. trying to get their hands on him."

"How did you know that?"

"I was in foster care my whole life up until then. The younger the kid, the more likely they'd get adopted. The older you were the harder it was."

"You were in foster care?"

Emma nodded.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Her frown turned quickly into a frantic curiosity. "What-"

"I was found on the side of the road somewhere in upstate New York, like a day old or so - no one knows who my parents are. So I was just immediately put into the foster care system... after like a week in the hospital because I hadn't been fed. But I wasn't put up for adoption because they tried to find who I belonged to for like a year. So I know all about that shit. And it sucks."

"How old are you?"

Emma frowned at her tone. "The fuck? How old are _you_?"

Without any warning, she just turned and walked toward her house again, leaving Emma confused and thoroughly weirded out.

"Okay, bye?" She said to herself.

Lady was weird as shit. There was no way Emma was hers... unless she got knocked up when she was like eleven. Fuck that.

* * *

Cora started throwing jabs early - even before Henry could run and play outside. Granted they were low and her grandson had taken them as simple jokes, similar to the ones that Emma and Regina would toss at each other with smiles. He didn't understand that they were built on real feeling, and the fact Emma wasn't there to defend herself meant she was saying them just to be mean spirited and condescending.

Regina was thankful he didn't understand. She held her composure for most of the meal and let her mother and her son chat for a bit. But when it had come time to say goodbyes, Regina unlocked the car for Henry and pretended she left something in the house.

The older woman was still smiling warmly at the door when Regina nearly broke her heels stomping back up the steps.

"Darling, is-"

"You have to stop. I will not have you talk about Emma that way in front of Henry. Or in front of me for that matter."

Cora just grinned, looking toward the ground as she gathered words to waft away the seriousness that had washed over her daughter. "I'm not-"

"You are being serious. And it has to stop - I don't care what you think of her or how you talk about her with your country club cronies. But I care about you treating her like a second class citizen when she's done nothing but prove herself from the minute she made the commitment to Henry to stay. She's helped me and she's stood up for me, and she's given so much of her time and effort for both of us. I love you dearly, and I know you mean well and that you want to protect me. But attacking a woman who is doing the very best she can for people _she_ barely knows... attacking someone that means very much to me as well, mother - I won't stand for it. I don't care if you're jealous or insecure under it all. She's staying."

"You seem so sure."

"I am."

With a hand on her baby bumpand a determination in her eye, Regina wentback to the car and drove away.

* * *

It's almost exactly a week later when caves in and tries on the maternity clothes Emma picked out. She still goes down to Boston and to New York every few weekends to try and pick up some extra cash. And on the occasions she does, she brings Henry back a comic book or a map - the nerdy things he likes the most. Every once and a while something will pop out at her that she knows Regina would love. The time before last it was a jar painted from the inside, little designs all over you put over a candle and it lights up.

This time, it was the pants. Still slim in the legs but with a full spandex waist to stretch over her bump, and pin striped.

They sat on her dresser for the better part of the week, and before Emma shows up for lunch and to take Henry on a bike ride, Regina slips them on... and hated herself for how comfortable she found herself.

Emma walked in and recognized it immediately, smiling brightly at the way Regina slumped over. "I didn't want to like them."

"But you love them, right?"

Regina rubbed her face. "I want three more pairs to go with all of my jackets." She admitted with a grin.

Henry comes down the stairs full blast, still in pajamas. His grin is all of a hello that's needed, though he hugs her anyway, then pulls both of his mothers into the living room with him.

"What's this?" Regina asks.

Henry plops down in the middle, daring them to sit with him. "Old school cartoons are on. We should watch them."

"Old school?" Emma raises an eyebrow.

He just turns the TV on and sits back, waiting as both women look toward the screen and see the grainy 'POW' and 'BOOM' from the opening sequence of a batman series that has to be long since retired.

"What about the bike ride?" Regina asks.

He shrugs and pulls his feet underneath himself.

Emma's the first to shrug and sit down, sighing into the couch and letting her back curl in a way she knows will probably not feel the best later, but right now it's relaxing.

And looking at the two of them, Regina knows she doesn't actually care either. She eases herself down a little sideways so she can pick her legs up, tucking her feet behind Henry's back.

And they sit there, more like family than they think they'd ever felt like.

Two episodes come and go before Regina waves her hand at the two of them. She put a finger to her lips and grabs at Henry's hand.

He looked at her, completely puzzled. Then his mother pressed his fingers over her side - right under her ribs and there's a soft drumming.

His eyes went wide and he scrambled closer, putting both hands on his mother's belly, then his face a moment later.

Emma sat and grinned at them.

But Regina frowned and reached for her hand too.

"What?"

"Come here." She whispered. "He only goes when he thinks I'm asleep."

Henry moved over so Emma could get closer too. Regina took her hand and put it a little higher - right between her breast and her belly button and there's a hard kick.

"You guys feel him?" She asked softly.

Emma couldn't answer. She decided not to because she didn't know how to tell them she'd never felt this before - the memories are fuzzy but she knows she never attempted to feel Henry when she was pregnant. It was scary, and this was scary.

She gulped one more time before she could take her eyes off Regina's belly and actually smile at her.

"About time, right?"

The blonde would have nodded if the giant knock at the door hadn't shocked her out of their happy little family moment.

Regina twisted and looked toward the entry way, confusion melting every last bit of her face.

"You're not expecting anyone?" Emma's gut turns.

She shook her head and got up slowly.

Without any real need, Emma gave Henry a look to just stay put and followed Regina - followed and then got in front of her looking through the peep hole before Regina could. And her gut tightened again.

He banged on the door a second time - just two hits, but they're solid and suddenly she's nervous enough to push Regina back lightly.

"Em-"

"It's Graham."

Regina's face drops. Her hands went over her belly like he could take it from her.

Emma couldn't say that it's okay before he opened the door, and she flipped around immediately, putting herself between them. "You can't be here."

"There's no restraining order."

Regina shook her head. "But you don't live here anymore. It's trespassing and I can have you arrested."

"You think Emma could arrest me?" He almost smiled before his eyes landed on Regina. More specifically the roundness under her hand and he stiffened visibly.

Emma couldn't help but look between them for a moment, and Regina looked back gulping back the sudden tears.

"How.. how many-"

Regina cut him off and moved toward Henry suddenly. "Get out. You can talk to Katherine."

Graham seemed dead set on moving in the house, but Emma waits until Regina has Henry out of sight before she pushes him back outside, locking the door behind them. She didn't have her cuffs on her or she would have absolutely taken him to the station and let him sit in his embarrassment for as long as she could manage to get away with. But seeing as she just had her hands, she got him out the door and down the steps rather easily.

"She has to talk to me at some point."

"And she will. You're forgetting she could have just not told you anything - left you in the dark like you didn't have rights to take away in the first place."

"Yeah, but she's a bit more mature than you are."

Emma felt the sting immediately. It took her a few hard seconds of glaring at the son of a bitch to decide she didn't care.

Her fist connected with his nose first, and as soon as he took one of his hands away and looked back at her, Emma swung again and got him square in the jaw.

That last one made her wrist feel that sharp pain a bit, not enough to make her back down though.

Her hand slipped into the collar of his shirt and she pushed him all the way back to his car and hit him again, twice in the side of the head. She could feel her blood pumping through her and the anger wrapping around her chest as Regina's face flashed through her head again, the tears she'd shed over him and the uncertainty of taking on motherhood again. If it were anyone else - anyone that didn't know how to file a report, Emma would have kept going. She would have beat him into a pulp because she's been doing it all her life and she knew how to make someone even twice her size roll on the ground in agony.

She settled for watching the over grown man-child that was Regina's ex hold his face as he leaned against his car.

But she did get in his face.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully." Her voice rattled in her throat, somewhere between fury and horror at what Regina and Henry might be feeling. "If you ever touch Henry, or Regina, or even that baby if Regina says you can't.. I will fucking murder you." She waited until his eyes meet hers before she nods slowly. "I am not above committing crimes to keep them safe. So get in your car, and conduct yourself like an adult. Sign some papers and slither back into the hole you came from."

She started to walk away until she hears laughing. She just stops.

"You're a guard dog. You're not a part of their family. You're like the babysitter that won't go away."

"And you're an idiot! You treat the one person who could have dealt with your sorry ass like shit! Her and that kid in there who, yes - he really did want to look up to you, until you showed you were an asshole!" She stomped back over to him and pushed him on the gravel without much effort. "You don't deserve her or her baby-"

"Sounds like someone has a crush."

Her boot digs in his ribs before she could stop herself.

Graham sputtered and rolled over. Blood from his nose had just about covered a third of his shirt at this point and Emma's just standing over him, seething.

"I'm filing charges."

She smiled. "Fourth amendment - self defense; the act of using lethal force against the _perceived_ threat of danger to ones self or their loved ones. Fuck your charges. And fuck you."

"I'm not signing my rights over."

Emma shrugged and walked away. "Then Regina will win them from you."

She couldn't even make it all the way up the steps before the door opened, and even then it wasn't until the tears on Henry's cheeks hit her that everything slows down.

She didn't even think before dropping to her knees and hugging the little boy to her. "It's okay, kid. I'm okay. I'm sorry."

"A-are you okay?" He whimpered

"Yeah, absolutely."

"You didn't have to lock yourself out there with him." Regina frowned, but it's much more out of worry. Emma saw it in her face and smiled just a little bit because of it.

"I'm sorry." She said again. She stood with Henry still in her arms and Regina's hand went immediately to the swollen, red knuckles, running a thumb over them. Emma waited for her to look back up. "I didn't want him back in the house if he got around me."

"And if he _got around_ you, dear?"

"He didn't."

"And I'm glad, but please try to avoid it altogether, next time." Emma knew Regina should be angry, but all she can read is worry. Something about that made her relieved and thankful.

She put Henry down and kissed his head. "Can you go upstairs and get dressed for me? I think we should all spend the day somewhere fun, okay?"

He just nodded and wiped tears away as he went.

Regina looked after him all the way up until the door to his room shut, and then simply walked back in the kitchen.

"Regina.. I'm sorry-" She started after her but stopped in the doorway. "I-"

"You were protecting us." Regina finished quietly. She got out a plastic bag and put ice in it. Emma stood there watching, and Regina keeps going, wrapping a damp towel around the bag and putting it on Emma's knuckles. "And thank you for that, but I was scared..."

Regina's lip curled over and Emma didn't have to go in for the hug - Regina's arms wrapped around her neck so fast she didn't know what to do accept **(except)** for hold her back.

"I'm sorry." She repeated again.

Regina shook her head. "I'm sorry he came here - I'm sorry you had to go.."

"It's okay." Emma pulled back and wiped the tears away with her thumb. "Regina, everything is going to work out like it's supposed to. Even though it's not easy right now, everything will be fine. We'll get through it-"

Suddenly Regina takes a big breath, holding on to Emma's arms for support. Emma felt like she almost saw actual pain in it, but on second look it just seemed like concentration. Her breaths are calculated and meant to calm herself.

"We'll get through it." The brunette repeated. "Together."

It made Emma feel like crying. But she kept it down, looking at Regina's belly and then at her hand holding the ice pack around her own knuckles.

Emma smiled before nodding up to Henry's room. "You two should pack a bag. I think you should stay at my apartment, where there are cameras in the halls if he decides to do something stupid."

There's a second that Regina's eyes decide to get all lost before she nodded. "Alright."

"We can tell Henry it's a sleep over."

"He'll like that."

Emma took her good hand away and tapped Regina's jaw with it, happy to see the smallest of smiles press into her lips.

But just as soon as it came it went away. Something altogether different came over her and all Emma could do was wait.

Regina's hand slipped into her own and she saw the hurt processing over her features.

"Emma, you're my best friend."

There it is. Her heart pounds in her chest in the most painful way.

"I'm so thankful for you and I couldn't stand to see you hurt on my account."

"You won't." Emma gulped down her words.

"I won't see it, or it won't happen."

Emma just smiled and hugged her again. "You won't." She repeated herself because she didn't know the answer. She was pretty sure she was hurting right then. Mostly because she just wanted to kiss Regina until she couldn't see straight. But that wasn't fair. Just because she was the only person to ever really offer her something of a family... well that was it. This was the only person who had ever offered her a family and she wouldn't ruin it because of inappropriate feelings.

"Emma..."

"Let's go get Henry."

They both give each other strange smiles, but head up the stairs anyway.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:: Hey there - chapters are going to be a little longer for a second because there are little moments I need to see happen because of that pull between fluff and angst that I love so much, and also because I don't want Regina's pregnancy to last twelve years.
> 
> Apologies for the late upload, I've been getting stuck and I have a lot of things happening, but I'm not going to let this story slip away. Not this time, I have too big of a plan for it and I enjoy it too much. Thank you for sticking around and I promise we'll get to all the good stuff soon. Warning for time jumps, I don't know exactly when I'll put them in but I will make them apparent when it happens.
> 
> Please send good vibes over to Sammichbatch who is having some amazing changes happen in her life. Unfortunately she didn't have time to beta this chapter but I might re-upload if she finds things that don't agree with her later on. Seriously, so excited for her!
> 
> And thank you for reading and for the feedback. You guys are amazing. Reviews make me smile. You are loved.

Emma leaned against the side of the grill, elbowing Sean. "This, right here.." She pointed at Regina and Ashley chatting in their lawn chairs, then to the blanket Alexandra was laying on with Henry and Ruby making faces at her. "This is my favorite."

"Yeah, this was a good idea." He nodded. "Even if it came from a shitty set of circumstances." Sean eyed the blonde's hand - now taped up despite her telling Regina multiple times that she was fine.

Emma sighed and looked back over at the moms, noticing how their eyes would always glance back over at the kids every so often. She imagined it was on instinct - even if they weren't actively talking about the children.

"Are you worried he'll actually do something?"

"He already did - sack of shit. I would have broke his fucking jaw if he tried to get into the house any further. I don't give a damn about FBI whatever."

Sean laughed to himself.

"You think it's funny?"

"I think you talking like you're the heavy-weight champion is funny."

She shook her head. "Whatever."

"Nah, it's good." He nodded before flipping the burgers again. "And I think it's good you told me. In case anything goes down and you need a second set of hands."

"I just needed someone else to keep them safe.. in case I'm somewhere else, or if you can get to them faster, that's valuable. It's just honestly so terrifying to think they won't have someone to stand up for them. I mean Henry's eleven and Regina's... delicate in more than one way."

"For sure. I know you'd do the same for my family."

That one hit Emma right in her throat. Family. It sounded so perfect but she'd never said it out loud. She knew she was just afraid of making it too real, just in case there was a chance things could still fall apart and for some reason they didn't want her around anymore.

"Yeah." Was all she said.

Sean looked at her. "What's wrong?"

She shrugged and took a sip of her single beer - somehow more than happy with just the one. "Just... something Graham said."

"What?"

Her cheeks puffed out as her breath left her slowly. "He said I wasn't a part of their family. That I was a guard dog or one of those annoying babysitters or something." Emma looked at her boot and scratched her arm so it didn't look so much like she was just hugging herself out of insecurity.

But Sean shook his head, almost in a disappointed way.

"It just got under my skin."

"It shouldn't." He shrugged and crossed his arms. "Regina backed you up - she let you back in the house and took care of you. She didn't go out and fix his face."

"Yeah, but... I don't know, man."

"Okay, let me put it like this, then. Ashely should have hated me. She got pregnant and I knew it was mine. I knew she loved me and I dipped out anyway because my parents told me it wasn't good for me. I didn't even give her and the baby a chance in my head in the beginning. But she didn't call me and tell me what a dick I was, or tell everyone else how dumb I was being. Because she loved me, and because we'd been together most of high school and we grew up planning this fairy tale we wanted to live in. When I came back, all of that was just there. She forgave me and took me back because she loved our history and she loved me and what we'd already built - she forgot all of the stupid things I did and I didn't even have to explain myself. We're working now because of a whole different thing but - anyway..." He looked at Regina and back in a very pointed way. "They were going to get married, right? As far as I know they were together for five or six years, and she's pregnant with his kid right now. The point is that she's always going to care about him and probably hope he's okay because they shared things you don't just give to anyone. And here's the thing;" He turned around and pointed at the women and then at Henry, still cooing over the baby. "They're here with you. She could have easily ran out there and stopped you and took care of him. She could have even gotten back together with him?"

"No, she wouldn't-"

He cut her off. "They're here. With you. And they're letting you take care of them, and watch out for them. And they were worried about you - not this guy who's been in their life a lot longer than you have. That's the kind of trust only family has."

Emma stared at Regina and then at Henry for a second. Henry loved her. That much was obvious. But Regina... her eyes stuck to the way she smiled slowly and nodded at Ashley - the other woman's hands went to her belly and they kept talking in such an animated way.

Regina's eyes caught hers and the smile softened. She threw a wink over to Emma before turning her attention back to Ashley.

And Emma nodded, though the slight tilt to her lips didn't really count as a smile.

That pull was always there - she loved her. Emma knew that's what it was. But was it worth more to just be there and be in their lives, and protect them and love them that way, or would they be happier if they held hands and made out and slept in the same bed? Like every other time Emma decided almost immediately it wasn't worth it to risk all of the good things that they already had. Regina didn't need any more complications in her life. She dealt with more than enough. And just being accepted and wanted was more than she'd ever thought to ask for. She was already so lucky - she kept telling herself just to be happy with what she had.

Yet it didn't stop her from wanting to go and lace their fingers together, then lift her hand up just to kiss it softly.

The imagery alone made Emma have to swallow down the ugly knot in her throat.

Thank god Ruby picked that moment to come over and hover over the food. "Hey, Master Chef."

"She thinks she's funny." Sean told Emma like it was a secret.

"I am funny. How long until we get to dig in?"

He glanced back over to the kids before shrugging. "Actually they're almost done."

"Awesome!"

She went over to tell Regina and Ashely and then the kids, scooping the baby up in her arms like a pro.

Before too long everyone was dishing themselves up, Regina somehow getting a hold of Alexandra along the line and talking to her as she made her plate.

Ruby coughed to get her attention.

"What?" Emma glared at her.

"Stop staring - you look like you're going to puke up your heart at any second. It's gross."

The blonde frowned and squeezed the ketchup bottle a little too hard.

Then Ruby frowned again. "Sorry." She rubbed her back in a couple strong swipes. "You'll be okay."

They didn't notice the half confused, half startled look Regina gave them at the small show of affection. She didn't know if she'd recognize it either if someone told her what her face was doing in that moment.

Ashley laughed and pointed to the Sheriff's plate. "You okay?"

Sean and ruby laughed a bit and Emma rolled her eyes. "You guys are just jealous - my burger looks bomb."

"No it looks like a bomb - like it exploded from the ketchup bottle."

"I don't know my own strength - look at these guns." She flexed obnoxiously, making Henry giggle to himself.

Sean laughed. "You look like a disney princess in boots - calm down. You're not that tough."

"Oh, stop making fun of her." Regina scowled in a playful way. "Look at your daughter. You've made the most Aryan looking child - she looks like she was bred for a hate crime."

Everyone went silent.

Regina's eyes went from the baby in her arms, then scanning all of the adults faces. "What?"

Emma was the first to break down laughing, almost to the point of tears.

Ruby picked her jaw up off the floor. "Did you just make a joke?"

The rest of them joined in laughing before Regina just smiled at the baby again. "You do, you know? You're very close to the Mr. Hitler's archetype for the perfect human."

"Wow, I didn't know you were so funny." Ashley said, wiping at her eyes.

"No, she's just spending way too much time around me." Emma corrected.

Regina rolled her eyes in the most dramatic way and handed the baby off to her father.

* * *

There was no better sight than the Mayor with her wet hair pulled back into a short pony, brushing her teeth.

Emma peeked over through the door from her bedroom, grinning like a fool. And sure enough Regina caught her stare and narrowed her eyes slowly. If she wasn't trying to get Henry to lay down, she was sure the brunette would have started one of their fake fights - chalk full of insults that neither of them minded a bit.

"It's weird though."

Emma rolled her eyes and shoved Henry's head down into the pillows for the fourth time. "It is not. These are clean sheets, and warm blankets, and I promise you, this mattress is more expensive than your moms shoes."

"Doubtful!" Regina called from the bathroom.

"But it's not _my_ bed."

"Kinda what a sleep-over is. Not sleeping in your own bed is one of the few requirements."

Henry pulled his arms out of the covers and folded them across his chest. "You're starting to sound like mom."

"Lucky her." Regina laughed.

Emma laughed before running her hands through Henry's hair. "Listen - your mom is going to come sleep in here too, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

"I'm not afraid, I'm just not tired."

"Okay."

He rolled on his side to face the blonde. "So where are you going to sleep?"

"On the couch. Where I sleep most of the time, anyway."

"Why do you sleep there instead of in your bed?"

Emma groaned and flopped down on the bed next to him. "WHY are you not asleep."

"I thought we went over this."

Regina sat down slowly on the other side of the bed and put her hand on his leg. "Henry." Her tone was much more stern and warm than Emma's. It might have been practice, or the general mommy gene Regina just seemed to have, but he turned to her immediately, taking one large breath. "What was... your favorite part of the day?"

His eyes went to the ceiling for a moment. "Getting to hold Alexandria."

The women smiled at each other.

"Why?" Regina asked.

"Because she's just so cute. And she looked up at me and smiled. I think it's going to be better holding my brother just because he's related to me, but I like Ally too. It's just cool, I guess."

"Cool how?"

"She's like... So small, but she's a person. It's weird and awesome at the same time. It makes me more excited for when you have the baby."

Regina nodded. "I'm excited, too. But do you think you'll be ready to help out and be a big brother?"

Emma sat back and watched their conversation unfold and Henry's eyes become a little more tired every time he tried to verbalize his thoughts until he had to croak out his answers through yawns. And it was amazing how much he looked like Regina, even just in the way he would look around the room searching for what he wanted to say. It wasn't ten minutes later than they were tucking him in and turning out the lights.

Regina closed the door and Emma raised her eyebrows. "You're too good at that."

She just nodded, rubbing her eyes forcefully. "Years of practice."

"It shows."

Her hand patted Emma's shoulder. "You'll get there. You just have to talk to him instead of argue with him."

"But arguing with him is fun."

"So is... jump rope - but it's not for bed time."

Emma nodded and went to get tea out.

"Tonight was fun, though."

"Yeah." She smiled as Regina took her seat. "I think we should hang out with them more often."

Regina nodded back, resting her chin on her knuckles. "I didn't think I would get along with them so well."

"Why not?"

She shrugged, pushing a yawn into the inside of her elbow. "They're a bit younger than I am, but so are you, and we seem to get along I suppose. That... and I didn't think they liked me very much."

"They like you."

"Before tonight, I mean."

Emma paused and got out mugs and honey before turning back around. "But, I had to tell Sean about Graham being back. And beating the living shit out of him. If anything else goes down he's not in the dark."

"Like what?" Her brows crinkled together.

Emma sighed. "Like... if I were out of town or something. Or, you know, if he could get to you guys faster than I could for whatever reason, I want him in on everything."

Regina's eyes flashed down to Emma's hand again. The swelling had almost completely gone down but the redness on her middle knuckle was still visible. But that only meant Graham's face was probably doing a whole lot worse.

"Hey."

The brunette looked up.

"Don't worry about me."

"You say it as though it'll just happen so easily." Her fingers went over her mouth as she looks toward the window. "You do so much for us, and for the town, I don't know what I would do without you now and it's terrifying to think you're so reckless as to start a fight with someone twice your size, Emma."

"I've been doing that for most of my life!"

"Not because of me, you haven't."

It was quiet, but Emma nodded before gulping down her stupidity.

She didn't say anything as she pushed Regina's chamomile over to her and stayed on her side of the island.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful-"

Emma shook her head. "You feel guilty... because...?"

Regina twisted her spoon around in the steaming liquid. "Because if anything were to happen to you, I would hate myself."

"Right. And if I let anything happen to either one of you three, I would hate myself."

Her eyes slowly found Emma's. And as soon as they did the blonde just nodded at her with a soft smirk.

"I suppose that makes sense." She let herself smile for a moment before she opened her mouth again to speak, however instead of words a sharp gasp happened as her face twisted in pain. Her hand went to her belly, and immediately Emma was up and around the island.

"It's fine." The words were small spoken through Regina desperately holding her breath.

"Fine my ass - what happened?"

Regina shook her head. "It's just a cramp... or the baby moving against something."

"No, no - don't give me that. I've seen cramps - your face doesn't get like that."

She couldn't look Emma in the eye. "I was talking to Ashley about it - it's normal."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Emma. I'm sure." Her tone settled even though her head shook as she said it.

Emma took the other chair and put both of her hands on Regina's knees. "Is there anything else happening? Is it just the cramping?"

"Sure."

"Regina."

"...There's... I've been having a _little_ spotting, but it's-"

Without another word Emma shook her head and searched for her cell phone. "I'm not buying that shit, Regina. We're going to the hospital."

"We are not! Henry is asleep-"

"I'm calling Ruby and she'll be here with him."

"We both have work in the morning, and he has school-"

She put the phone down and looked the other woman in the eye, for once putting a foot down. "Fucking. Stop." She folded her hands across her chest and took the tone Regina had whenever she was frustrated with Henry. "I am taking you to the hospital, and you can whine all you want to, but this is not normal. And I can bet that this isn't the first time you've felt this pain, and it's not the first time you're sweeping it under the rug so we won't worry about you. It's so dumb, because what if something is wrong? You want to sit here and wait it out until you're sure he's in trouble? You can hate me for being concerned later - right now I need you to get your purse and put shoes on because Ruby will be here in ten minutes and I'm taking you to the fucking hospital."

Regina set her mouth in a straight line and stared at Emma. But after a few seconds of eye contact, Regina got up and moved slowly around the living room collecting her things.

"Then... give me a minute to put on some mascara."

Emma wanted to smile, but she thought of what Regina would do. So she nodded and started to get herself ready as well.

* * *

Three hours later and all of the tests were done and Emma could see the worry wear beneath Regina's eyes. Ultrasound was normal, but then the tech stopped and looked closer, angling the little eyeball thing away from the baby entirely. Then the second opinion and hours more of professionals going in and out of the room, checking all sorts of things.

By the time Whale actually got there, he looked like he'd been sleeping for three days and could barely wake up until he looked over everything himself.

Regina was quiet the whole time, and answered every question calmly, but Emma knew her frown. It was anxious and hurting. Between that and a few more cramps, she stopped trying not to hold Regina's hand, instead just clasping their fingers together silently, and she squeezed back.

A rare quiet happened to surface and Emma leaned her head against the elevated bench thing Regina had been sitting on for the past four years.

The brunette looked down. "How many hours without sleep have you gone now?"

Emma smiled through a yawn but shook her head. "Doesn't matter."

"I hate it when you're right, you know."

She just nodded.

"Something is obviously wrong if they're not telling us anything and they have to ask half of the maternity wing and chief surgeon to come and look at me."

"But we're here. And if the baby needs help then you're exactly where you need to be."

"Yeah, so what if he needs help?"

The desperation in her voice isn't lost on her, but Emma didn't know what to say. Her free hand just went to Regina's belly as they waited.

A minute or so later Whale came back and sat down, not wasting any time with smiles. "So what we're seeing - the issue and the probably cause for the cramping and spotting - is called an incompetent cervix."

Regina nodded, taking deep breaths and holding Emma's hand tightly. "I've read about it."

"Right. So... What we're seeing is that your cervix is too short. It's thinning out, like your body wants to dilate and have the baby, but you're not even close to ready yet."

She kept nodding.

"It's rare. The cramping and spotting would be normal but not at this point in your pregnancy. Later on.. eight months maybe, but not now. Because of that, it's not usually detected until it's too late."

"Is it- we can't do-"

"No! Regina- no... we caught it. It looks like your cervix is starting to thin out, but you're still fine. What we have to do now is just preventative measures. I was just saying how lucky you are. Most women miscarry before they know they have this condition. You're five months in, which means you beat the odds so far. Women with this condition rarely keep their first pregnancy this long."

"He's going to be alright, though."

Whale nodded again. "Yeah he will."

Both of her hands went to her face before she started sobbing. Emma rubbed her arm forcefully but looked toward the doctor. "What preventative measures?"

"We're going to do a cerclage, which means we're going to put stitches to reinforce the cervix, and limit physical activity somewhat."

Regina shook her head. "Limit - meaning... bed rest?"

He shrugged. "Moderate bed rest. You can get up and eat, bathe, those things. It's more about staying off your feet as much as possible, and I'd advise you not to go into work everyday. Meetings... probably a couple times a month, but you can email from your bed. You'll probably want to have someone move in with you for the remainder of the pregnancy. Hire a nanny or-"

"I can do it."

Regina just looked at her, wiping tears away still. "No, Emma-"

"What? I'm already over there all the time. Henry's used to me."

She hook her head. "You'll be even more exhausted than you are now, with the station and Henry, and taking care of me too.."

Emma shook her head and turned back to whale. " _I'll_ do it. When are you doing the stitches thingy? And when can I take her home?"

He looked between the two of them carefully. "We should schedule as soon as possible. Sometime tomorrow morning." He looked at Regina. "We'll have to keep you over night."

She nodded. "That's fine."

"Good." He took a breath and let his fingers slide through his hair. "I'll get everything sorted and bring back the consent forms."

"Thank you." They both said at the same time.

Emma got up and stretched her legs, yawning at the wall.

"I can get my mother to stay with me." She said quietly.

The blonde just looked at her. "Really? That lady can't sit in a room without making you more stressed out, Regina."

"You already spend so much time on us."

"And it's where I want to spend my time. I keep telling you, and I don't know how you don't get it. You guys are my family." Fuck, that shook her more than she thought it would. "I feel like part of the family, at least. I love being able to be with you guys. And helping, whether you think it's more work or not, this is where I want to be." She looked around and shrugged. "Not this exactly place - okay. This place is creepy and it scares me. Especially because it's for you and the baby, but I would rather it's me so I know you're okay."

Regina fell into tears again, sobbing this time, a bit harder than she wanted to.

Emma went over and put her arms around her, letting Regina hold her face in her hands and just cry.

"I'm so scared." She admitted.

And the blonde just nodded. "I am too."

After a few minutes Regina caught her breath and nodded.

"You okay?"

"I think so."

"Okay. Then I'll call Ruby and ask her if she can drop Henry off at school in the morning." She kissed Regina's forehead more on accident than anything, but bit back her embarrassment fast. "I'll be right back."

"You don't have to stay here. I can-"

"I know. But I am." She shrugged before almost running from the room, only catching a hint of a smile on the other woman's face in her peripheral. She got as far as the waiting room and sat down. But she only got her phone out before it started ringing. An unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Emma Swan?"

Good - _Sheriff Swan_ meant she'd have to wake Sean up and have him be on call so she could stay. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Hi, there.. this is Nurse Terry calling from St. Anthony's Hospital in Storybrooke. I'm calling to inform you Regina Mills is being admitted for-"

Her head turned to the desk about a room away from her. "Terry." She called, lowering her phone.

The older woman looked up and smiled, hanging up her phone. "When did you get here?"

Emma sighed and walked toward the desk, thankful the woman introduced herself over the phone first. Otherwise it would have been _'Lady with the drier machine fire last month.'_ "I'm the one who brought her in."

"Oh! Good then."

"Why did you call me? Why didn't you call her mother."

Terry nodded and pointed to the file in front of her. "You're her emergency contact so I'm required to inform you."

Emma leaned over the high counter top, almost to the point of pain and peered down at it the paper. "Really?"

"Yes, see?" She pointed.

"When did I get put on there?"

The woman turned the pages noisily - all of her rings clicking together on her fingers. "Two... two months ago."

"I didn't know that." She smiled to herself.

"Should I call Mrs. Mills tonight? Or-"

"Regina will probably call her in the morning. I'm sure she wouldn't make you do it. That woman's not the easiest to deal with."

Terry just gave her a look, saying she was aware of the fact.

* * *

With how smoothly things had gone all day, they should have known something would go wrong sooner or later.

Regina got to call and talk to Henry and then Cora before surgery, Sean covered Emma's shift, and Ruby said she would pick Henry up and have him visit after school before hauling him off to his grandmother for the night. Emma asked why Cora wouldn't just come in and get the kid, but all she got in return was "She doesn't do well with seeing me in pain." And Emma took it.

On top of everything else the surgery was quick. Emma didn't even get time to nap before Regina was out again. Whale said it went better than just to plan - they had to keep her the extra night to keep an eye on her healing and if there was any extra stress on the baby.

And when Regina woke up slowly there was just the slightest look of discomfort on her face. She put her hand under her belly and looked around.

Emma sat up from her place on the cot in the corner of the room - the same place she'd tried to sleep the night before.

"Hi." Regina's voice sounded like she'd been asleep for years.

The blonde grinned. "How ya feel?"

"Just tired." She frowned and pushed herself up, though she sank back to the same position. Emma came over and helped her sit up a little more before Regina rolled her neck. "It feels like I'm going to have cramps. Period cramps."

"Well, you have stitches in your hoo-ha so... I didn't think you'd be comfortable."

Regina raised and eyebrow. "Hoo-ha?"

She laughed at herself before she sat on the side of Regina's bed. "Everything went great, apparently. They're going to keep you overnight again, but I can take you back to the house in the morning."

"Good."

Regina jumped, but looked surprised - not worried.

Then another time.

Without saying anything she reached for Emma's hand and pressed it just to the left of her little protruding navel. They both sat still and nothing happened.

"Talk to him." Regina smiled.

Nerves wrapped around Emma's throat but she bent down anyway, taking a second to figure out what to say.

"Hey, buddy." She gulped. "I hope you're comfortable in there because you're only about half way." She looked up and shook her head. "I don't know how to talk to a baby, man. He probably can't even hea- WHAT THE FUCK." She drew her hands away after the two big kicks hit her right in her hands. "Oh my god. How long has he done that?"

Regina laughed, wincing a bit, but even then it didn't stop - just quieted it a bit. "That's new. It just happened now."

"Really?" Emma couldn't stop smiling. She put her hands back on the bump and scratched it like she could tickle him through Regina. "Maybe he's a fucking kangaroo... you into that kind of thing?"

"I hate you."

Emma just laughed and kept talking to him, feeling little rumbles every now and again.

It couldn't have been more than a few minutes before there were two small knocks on the open door.

"Come in?" Regina called, expecting to see Dr. Whale.

Instead Graham walked from behind the curtain, taking slow, careful steps.

Both Emma and Regina gave him that same stern, careful look.

Emma straightened up immediately, puffing her chest out even though as soon as his eyes landed on her he looked at the ground. Then to Regina, but back down at the ground again.

"Hi." He said quietly. He raised his hand without a wave. There were flowers in his other hand and he made no attempt at any other movement, just standing right where the curtain ended. His left eyebrow was almost completely purple, circling around below his eye at the socket line. His nose was a little discolored too, but not half as bad.

Regina simply nodded to him as acknowledgement - not an invitation to come closer and he knew it.

Emma moved herself into the chair but kept both feet firmly on the ground, as if it were another warning. She'd play guard dog right now, that was fine with her. One wrong move and she'd be up ready to throw punches again.

"I heard..." He stopped and stared at her belly, something in his eye reading as terrified. Regina could only imagine that he was too scared to mention the baby. Maybe he thought if he didn't say it that it wasn't his. "Is everything alright?" Is what came out instead.

The brunette sighed, keeping her face and her voice as cool as she could as she nodded. "Should be fine."

"Good." He gulped down his pride and held out the flowers. "These are for you."

"Thank you." She held out her hand and only then did he move. Regina took them, but handed them off to Emma in one fell swoop, ever graceful.

Graham looked at the floor. "I think we should talk."

Regina nodded.

He looked to Emma and back again.

But all he got in return was a shake of her head before she leaned back into the pillows again. "She can stay."

For once he was smart enough not to fight it. He backed up against the wall and folded his arms.

And there was a long moment where Regina looked at him, and then to Emma who'd relaxed back into the chair, gaining just a bit of understanding about both of them now. Graham's frantic need to preserve the only concrete family he had left - Emma on the other hand simply standing by and supporting. The only difference between them in that moment was what family really was - not something to own, but something to surround yourself with because you love it.

"You're getting.." He gestured like he was holding a beach ball at his waist. "...pretty big."

She looked to Emma. "I'll be five months..."

"Next week." Emma picked at something invisible on her jeans.

Graham nodded again.

Another silence passed between them, his eyes firmly on his shoes and both women staring at him.

Then he sighed. "Why... What is it you're trying to accomplish by making me sign my rights over?"

"Rights to what?" Regina asked calmly, hands folded on top of her belly.

His brow creases in confusion.

"I want you to say it." Her eyes softened the smallest bit. "What is it, Graham?"

"The-" He cut himself off, pointing. His mouth opens and closes like a fish.

Regina waited, patient and motherly.

"It's a baby."

They both watched the way his shoulders dropped, like the weight of it all suddenly hit him.

Regina nodded. "It's your baby."

"So why have me out of the picture, then? Put my signature in saying it's not."

"That's not what it is. Signing over your rights doesn't mean he's not yours."

She didn't know how the words hit Emma, but they did. All she saw was a frown sag the muscles around Graham's mouth. "H- it's... it's a boy?"

Regina just looked at him.

"What does it mean then?"

"It means you aren't held accountable as a father." She never stopped looking into his eye - completely tactful. "You won't have to make decisions or argue with me about what's best for him because that will be up to me."

He stayed quiet.

"You're training still aren't you?"

Graham shook his head. "I just finished. I have a few weeks before I move to where they need me."

"They're placing you."

It's not a question but he nodded.

Regina offered a joyless smile. "You'll be following orders.. and going where they tell you to go when they tell you. Moving every few years and working all the time. You've explained how the FBI works to me... how many times?"

And there's a smile there too.

Emma saw that history Sean was talking about buzzing in between them now.

The Mayor leaned forward, somehow not looking small or weak at all in her hospital bed. "You should know me by now, Graham. My biggest goal in life is to keep my son happy and healthy, and have him grow up in the best environment I can give him and it's exactly what I want for this baby. I want to know that he'll have everything he needs at his fingertips, and always feel safe and loved." She shook her head. "I will not let him depend on you, only to be let down. You're going to be all across the country. You won't be there for spelling bees or bedtime stories. You can't commit to giving him a whole part of yourself or being consistent. Even if it weren't for this job, I don't think you're ready. I think _maybe_... if we were still together, but we can't go back there and you know that. One day you will be ready, though - and you'll be able to be constant and strong and understanding for your children."

There were actually tears in his eyes, but he didn't move.

"I'm not asking you to deny that you're a father - not to yourself or anyone else. What I'm asking you to do, is give him stability. You've seen the way I've raised Henry - I've never lied to him about where he came from. And the moment this baby asks me who his father is I will tell him. I'll show him pictures and tell him stories and if he asks I will absolutely give you the option to see him." Her voice got shaky but she kept blinking the wetness from her eyes. "Children need absolutes in their lives - concrete things to build on or they grown up unsure and scared. And I know right now, the only absolute you can give is nothing at all. You can promise not to disrupt his life. That's how you can love and support him, is by trusting me. I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't think it was the best and only option."

His head dropped and he pressed into his eyes with a thumb and index finger, his mouth stretching into a line.

"Graham."

He stepped forward then and hugged her.

Her chin was on his shoulder in an instant, her hands resting on his sides and tears leak from both of their eyes.

All of the sudden Emma felt like she should have left. She's too close and her heart is in her throat - it hurt so much and she knew it shouldn't.

"I'll send you pictures, if you want?" Regina offers.

Graham just shakes his head. He kisses her temple and pulls back, looking awkwardly at Emma before taking a breath and looking back. "Just... when he's born -a picture and his name?"

Regina smiled and nodded.

"I'll..." He wiped his eyes and back pedaled. "I'll go talk to Katherine."

"Alright." She dabbed at her face with the back of her knuckles.

Finally there's this moment - one where words aren't enough. Graham nods one time, casting his eyes to Regina's belly again and then turns and leaves.

And Regina could only stare after him, the curtain separating them from the door for a long moment before her lip curled under the smallest bit. She looked over at the other woman with a sad smile.

Emma was waiting for it. She stood up and crawled into the bed, hugging around Regina's arms with a force and ignoring each gouge of Regina's shoulder into her chest as she sobbed. Regina kept clinging to the bicep in front of her, feeling it flex as Emma moved that arm from the embrace just enough to bend and card her fingers through her hair. A nurse came in to check on them, and Regina turned to hide beside Emma's neck. Even after the nurse left, she kept hiding.

After the tears stopped, she stayed there - her head only swayed and dropped so her forehead was on Emma's collar bone.

Then Regina relaxed.

Emma felt it the moment it happened. One hand on her belly, the other still holding on to the blonde's elbow.

"You gonna be okay?" she whispered.

It took a moment but the brunette nodded. "It's just... closure." She signed. "I'm sad and I'm relieved."

She stretched out a bit before shifting closer. "You should go back to sleep."

Regina nodded again. "You don't-"

"I'll stay."

The Mayor looked up at her, looking so small and vulnerable out of nowhere.

Emma gulped. "If that's okay with you?"

Her hand went to smooth away one last tear from her jaw, and Regina just stared at her. All she said was, "Alright," and it wasn't even a whisper - just a breath of the word.

But she laid back, turning herself just enough to fit into Emma's side and closed her eyes.

Emma kept her fingers going slowly smoothing back the hair above Regina's ear until her breathing evened out. She memorized the feeling, soaking it in and storing it away with each passing moment before she let herself drift off too.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another thank you to Sammichbatch because I always appreciate her taking the time out for me. She's so busy and has her own life and still somehow deals with me occasionally. Give her love, too.
> 
> And thank you guys for the comments and favorites, and the few emails I've gotten about how much you've guys liked the story! It makes me really excited that I'm not just babbling. The support is amazing especially because most of the people around me in RL think I'm an idiot for spending so much time on it.
> 
> Anyway. Reviews make me smile. You are loved.

One in the morning and like clockwork Regina always had to get up. It's been that way ever since she could remember.

In college she would go and take a lap down the stairs and back - now that she had Henry, it was a glass of water and if that didn't settle her down then she would go and brush her teeth again. Little things just to calm her mind and get her back to sleep.

She got a glass down from the cupboard and smiled to herself as she moved dishes quietly to fill it. The night had gone well, despite the minor stress of having to instruct instead of actually helping. Emma invited Ashley and Sean over before they even left the hospital that morning. They got Henry out of school early to help move Regina's maternity clothes downstairs before the young couple arrived to help rearrange the rest of the furniture in the office. A bed from one of the guest rooms was moved in, and the sofas were moved to the walls to make room. So Regina could work and stay in bed, and no more going up and down the stairs.

Convenient, yes. Although she was sure she'd go stir-crazy before the baby came.

The brunette leaned against the counter with her free hand roaming over her belly between sips. Then she looked at the dishes again, remembering Emma promising "I'll do them when they leave!" pointing over to the little family entertaining Henry with all the little things their daughter was learning.

She heard the couch springs squeak obnoxiously. Regina padded over quietly, then frowned at the blonde looking cramped on the more decorative piece of furniture.

"Emma." She shook the other woman gently. "Go to bed - I told you to have my room."

All she got in return was a grumble while Emma shrugged her hand away.

"Get up... you look terribly uncomfortable."

"NNmmm- fine."

"My bed is much more comfortable than this... I changed the sheets a few days ago."

Emma gulped, but didn't open her eyes. "It's cool - fffffurrrr..." She yawned and rubbed her eyes and flipped over, closing her eyes again. "I'm right between the door and you and the stairs... so I can get everywhere and I can hear everything."

Her words were clumsy but they made Regina smile anyway.

All she can do is stare down at her for a moment longer before getting a thicker blanket and all but tucking the other woman in before going back to bed.

* * *

When Henry walked out the door from his classroom, Emma was already there - doughnut in one hand and an envelope in the other.

He smiled and hugged her. "Hey, Emma."

"Hey, kid." She squeezed him quickly and handed him the doughnut and dug in her pocket before handing over the keys too. "Go get in the car for me? I have to talk to your teacher for a second."

"About what?"

"Just about the apartment. I'll only be a couple minutes."

"Okay." Henry shrugged. He took a big bite and looped his other arm through the strap to his backpack as he strolled away.

Emma peered in the room and saw the few students milling around Ms. Blanchard. The older woman saw her and ushered the children away politely before addressing the blonde with a small, but strange wave.

"Hi there."

"Hello, Emma."

The way she said her name was always weird. Like purposefully calling her that.

In the back of her mind it was a little unnerving, but Emma wouldn't ever show it. Emma was too common of a name - and this was exactly why she never named Henry before she had him, why she didn't hold him before they took him away. She didn't want to constantly look for the thing she gave up. She was solid in her choice. This lady was obviously looking for anything to grab on to.

"Hi..." She nodded, then stuck out her hand with the envelope. "Rent." She smiled.

Ms. Blanchard took it and smiled at her. "Thank you." There was this gleam in her eye - like misguided hope or longing.

Emma shriveled under it, crossing her arms and leaning on a desk. "No problem. I had something to ask, too."

"Sure."

"I was wondering if Ruby could stay full time at the apartment while I stayed with Henry and Regina? It would be easier with her there to take care of it. I don't want to go back and forth everyday and I know she'll be responsible and clean and stuff."

The teacher simply nodded again. "Of course. I'll trust your judgement."

"Cool. Thank you." Emma smiled straightening up and shuffling toward the door. "I'll let her know."

"How is Regina? I heard she's on bed rest, right?"

Emma scratched her nose. "Sorta. Just taking it easy on her body, really. No extra stress. Other than weekly ultrasounds to make sure everything is all good in there..." she made an odd circular motion to her stomach. "But she's still working from bed."

"That's good." It was like her head was bobbing above invisible water. Her neck was moving in the weirdest way. "It's good you're there with them."

She shrugged. "I like 'em." She grinned. "But I have to go - I'm just dropping Henry off and grabbing some dinner before I go for graveyard at the station."

"Who's with Regina while you're gone?"

"Cora or Katherine might stop by? Or no one? She has my number and the station is wired through my cell phone when Sean or the volunteers aren't there, so it's all good."

Ms. Blanchard just smiled again in that awkwardly familiar way before Emma waves again from the door. "But, thanks again - see ya!" She called.

Every single time. That lady was odd. And still Emma couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

* * *

Okay, so the days were long.

Emma got up and got Henry ready for school, checked on Regina, took the kid to school and worked the day shift on the week days. Then she'd get Henry, go back to the mansion and let Regina order her around the kitchen so she could make dinner and the brunette wouldn't have to worry her son eating pop tarts as his final meal of the day. Weekends she would do paperwork at home and help keep Henry entertained other than giving Henry and Regina some space together and she'd check up with some of the small complaints she'd been passed through the week, then Sunday Regina goes in for ultrasounds and reassures her doctors she's staying sitting or laying down for most of the day.

And as much as she loved it, she was getting exhausted. She'd been caught drifting off at the dinner table more than once, and even she was beginning to see that the second she sat down there was one more thing she needed to do before she could lay down.

But as she pulled the cruiser over to the side of the road and looked at the house, porch lights glowing softly, she could see all the things she'd done. All of the shit karma she was sure had to be coming her way might have been counteracted by helping, then built up again by lying by omission every day.

She pulled her keys out of the ignition and took a breath before looking back at the door again.

Wait...

No she hadn't looked at the door yet, because it was sitting open a little bit. The porch lights were on but it didn't look like a single light in the house was on.

It was only 7pm... they were usually in the living room watching- FUCK.

Her heart thumped it's way to her throat as she ran to the house, leaving the door to the car open in a full sprint.

Something had to be wrong.

"Henry! Regi-"

"SURPRISE!"

Emma's hand went to her gun as she gasped as the lights flicked on suddenly and everyone yelled at her.

Then the balloons came into view and the banner across the hallway that read 'Happy Birthday' and all of the people she talked to most in the town standing around Regina and Henry smiling widely in the middle of the group. Archie and Ruby had those stupid pointy hats on and Sean, Ashley and Alex were there. Emma's eyes flashed everywhere. Granny was peeking out of the kitchen with a smile on her face. Katherine and her husband were there. Cora even stood over to the side sort of smiling with a wine glass in her hand. A few other people in town all just staring at her.

And the longer she stood there the more plastic looking their smiles became.

Emma still felt like her heart was going to tear a hole through her sternum and then years and years of people she didn't know very well giving her a dollar bill or a stick of gum when she told them it was her birthday ran through her mind, and it was way too much too fast.

"Em, it's just-"

She cut Ruby off by shaking her head and looking around again, from the front door to inspecting the stares for a minute. "Everything's okay?... the-The door was open."

Henry stepped forward and hugged her around the waist - Jesus, he was growing. Before his head was just at her hip, now he was almost to her shoulders. "Happy Birthday." He looked up at her. "We wanted to surprise you."

"You scared the crap outta me! The door was just open and no lights were on!"

Archie waved with his hand awkwardly behind everyone. "Sorry.. I left the door open. Just barely made it before you got here."

Just as her heart started to calm down she looked around again. "...It's my birthday." She said like it was only now made a fact.

She hadn't even thought about it.

Her eyes went to Regina who just grinned more. "You remembered my birthday?"

Regina tilted her head. "Of course I remembered." a slow smile started. "Better than you, apparently."

Everyone hummed a soft laugh, whether it was because she was the mayor or everyone thought that was the only correct response since they were just staring at each other, didn't really matter.

* * *

There was cake, and a few gifts and all of the ceremony that made Emma feel uncomfortable but still warm and loved. **  
**

Henry gave her the biggest piece of cake and a mug he made in art class. Ruby got her alcohol and Archie got her a book. Cora gave her a very impersonal card wrapped in nothing but a plain white envelope without so much as her name on it. That one made her feel right at home.

Then there was the well-wishes and smiles before everyone started trickling out of the door. Ashley and Sean with Alex sleeping on her daddy's shoulder.

Ruby stayed and helped clean up - Emma thought about cracking the joke about it being her job, and she wasn't getting paid to do it now, but there was this look on her face. Between that and the unusual lack of half-inch thick eye liner had her wondering what exactly had gotten into her friend.

Regina kissed Henry goodnight and went back to the study, so Emma pulled the waitress outside with beers in her hand and a grin on her face.

"Thanks - for the help."

Ruby just cracked open her bottle and nodded, sighing into the night. "I didn't realize how pretty it is back here." She said, pointing with the neck of the bottle at the yard.

"Yeah. It's pretty nice."

"Regina asked me to help, you know."

"What?"

The younger woman nodded. "Yeah, she called me last week and asked if I could get everything and help her put it up... cause she's on bed rest and everything."

Emma laughed. "You kept it a secret that long?"

She stared at her feet. "I haven't hung out with you in longer, so it wasn't hard."

"I see you every morning."

"Yeah, you come into the diner half dead to pick up coffee and then you leave."

Emma frowned and folded her arms. "I've just... it's hard to get a minute right now. After the baby-"

"When the baby comes you'll still help her."

"Them." The blonde corrected quickly.

"Oh, whatever!"

Emma made a loud 'sshhhhh'ing noise and pushed Ruby further into the garden. "What the hell? Henry's-"

"I know!" Ruby reverted to whisper-yelling. "Henry's going to sleep and you know whatever Regina's doing right now too, and you're going to go and put in another hour and a half before you actually sleep, and you don't have a minute to yourself. You can't breathe without thinking about them and what's next, and how you can help."

"And what's wrong with that? You're mad that I'm being a good person and doing what's right?"

"You have NO obligation here, Emma. You're doing it because you offered and she keeps accepting. What happens when she doesn't?"

Emma frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ruby shook her head and took another long swig. "Okay, so you guys are in this perfect little bubble right now - close to perfect, whatever. So she has the baby, and what then? You just stay around forever? She's going to invite you over for dinner every few nights and you'll help with homework and have girl-talk with her and feel like a part of the family." Ruby took a step closer, looking behind Emma toward the mansion. "But how is it going to feel when she has this kid call you Auntie Emma or something? Or what if she starts dating again?"

Fuck.

"I... she might-"

"You're putting all of your time and effort and energy into them, and it scares me. You love them so much and I don't want you to get your heart broken. I helped her for over a week trying to plan this and she talks about you like one of the kids - like she talks about Henry. It sounds like she loves you, Em - but not like you love her. You got what you wanted. You have a family, but you're not playing the roll you want. You're a surrogate sister or something to her - what's going on? Are you just going to stare at her and pretend? What's your plan here?"

"I don't have one." She admitted quietly.

"Emma..."

"I don't know what I'm going to do, but I know she deserves better than what she got. She needs help and I'm going to give that to her. And I'm going to stay in the kid's life because he needs me now. I just..." She shrugged, and huffed to herself. "I don't want it to be over yet. I've thought about telling her a hundred times, but I know when I do she'll just shake her head and say she's sorry or something, so yeah... I want to pretend for a little bit longer."

Ruby stared at her for a second.

"I'm not going to run. Whatever happens I need to figure out how I can stay here and not fall apart."

"Leaving town for a couple weeks isn't running?"

Emma scoffed. "Is that what you think I should do?"

"Yeah." She smiled sadly at her friend. "I think you should go clear your head every once and a while. Not constantly be surrounded by people who can keep asking you questions and taking things from you. All you've done is give since you got here. That has to be draining you pretty hard."

It didn't sound like an awful idea. After the baby came, of course. "..I'll think about it."

"And talk to me?"

Emma smiled. "Yeah. I need to call you more often."

"Yeah, you do." She laughed. "I just want you to be okay."

"I will be. I mean... I'll be okay. I've been through worse than having a crush."

She stuck out her arm and Ruby wrapped her's through, linking themselves together as they wobbled back to the house. The thought stamped itself in her brain that even if everything went ass-up, at least she'd made friends, and this one in particular that seemed to really be there for her.

Emma opened the door for them. "What's going on with this new hair and makeup thing?"

"You like it?" She grinned, showing almost all of her teeth in a way that made Emma want to tap on them with her fingernail for some reason.

She nodded anyway. "Yeah, it's different - good different."

"Oh, hi."

They looked back into the kitchen, to see Regina standing there, eyes wide and mouth open.

"Ms. Lucas... you.." She looked between them for a moment. "I thought you would have left with the others."

She shrugged. "No, I helped clean up a little."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, then we were just catching up."

"I was just leaving though."

Regina nodded and walked with them to the door. "I appreciate all your help, as well." Emma smiled at her and Regina put her hands behind her back. "I wouldn't have been able to do this if it weren't for her, in fact."

"No problem." She unhooked her arm from Emma's only to give her a large hug. Then she turned to Regina and smiled a very guarded smile, even though Emma could see the genuine care behind that look. And even though Regina flinched a little, she accepted when Ruby leaned over and hugged her too.

"I'll see you guys later." She waved, only to turn back around after stepping off the porch. "Call me - I'll hunt you down."

"I dare you." She yelled after her.

They laughed and Emma watched her out the gate before shutting the door.

Emma elbowed Regina after locking the door. "You can call her Ruby, you know."

She just nodded rigidly and waved in the direction she was already going. "Would you come back to the study with me for a moment?"

"Sure."

Regina made her way waddling down the hallway before she pushed the door open to her make-shift bedroom and patted the bed so Emma would sit.

"I have a gift as well."

Emma frowned. "No - the party was the gift. I don't need anything else."

"I wanted... you deserve..." Regina itched at her cupid's bow for a moment. "Just.. don't think of it as a gift, then." She closed the drawer to the desk carrying a large manila envelope with a bow on it. "Think of it as one more thing that'll put my mind at ease."

"What is it?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Open it and find out."

Emma grinned and took the bow off only to stick it obnoxiously on her head before she actually opened it. And even though she could feel the stack of paper inside, she still squinted taking it out and looking through what it actually said. But "final will and testament" found their way into her sight line and her stomach dropped.

"Regina-"

"It's something I've been thinking about for a while now." she nodded. "It's the part of my will that has to do with the boys if anything were to happen to me."

"What about your mom?"

Regina kept looking at the paper. "They would have gone to her automatically before, and I didn't have anyone else. I mean, if Graham and I had gone through with the wedding they would have been his, but..." Regina sighed. "Besides the fact that my mother is getting older.." She looked at Emma sincerely. "Emma, you're ready. I would feel safer knowing that, God forbid, I-"

"I get it."

She nodded and put her hand over Emma's. "I know there's no one else who would love them like I would."

Emma let herself smile even though tears were in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't get you a real present."

She shook her head and hugged the other woman quickly. "This is the best present ever."

Regina sighed. "I'm glad you like it."

"Thank you so much."

"Thank you for accepting-"

Emma shook her head. "No.. thank you for remembering. I didn't even remember and usually I obsess over it. Not for the best reasons.." She wiped at her eyes. "I've never had a party before. No one's ever cared enough to throw me a party. The closest thing I had was a guy I partnered with to take down this big Islander guy after he skipped town on both of us paying his bond - he bought be a couple'a shots a few years back." She shook her head.

"Sounds magical." Regina wiggled her eyebrows.

"No." Emma looked down at the papers again and nodded. "This is better than anything."

Regina leaned her head against Emma's shoulder slowly and sighed. "I'm glad we could be a part of your first birthday party, then."

"Me too."

* * *

"Henry!"

The eleven year old spun around with his eyebrows up, not bothering to actually walk back into the class room. "What's up?"

Ms. Blanchard walked over to him with her hands on her hips. "You didn't turn your homework in?" Her face was somewhere between amazed and concerned. "Is everything alright, you always have your work in on time."

"Yeah, everything's good." He nodded. "Mom said it was alright this once. I had to help with Emma's birthday party yesterday, so-"

"Emma... it was-"

Henry frowned as the woman's face went blank.

"Was it her birthday YESTERDAY?"

The little boy nodded slowly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah... mom was really excited to surprise her."

He stared at his teacher for a good while before he waved his hand in front of her face, attempting to pull her out of the trance she was in. "Are you-"

"That's okay..." She breathed out delicately. "You have... enjoy- have a good day, Henry."

"Ooooookaaaayyy... you too?"

He backed away slowly until he was safely in the hallway, where he sprinted all the way outside and into the cruiser. "My teacher's kinda nuts." was his only comment.

Emma laughed and agreed.

* * *

Sunday came every week. The one day Regina got out of the house, and the only place she hated more than her study by then was the hospital.

Nevertheless, Emma came striding in the room with Regina's tennis shoes in hand.

The Mayor looked up from her computer and scowled. "What are those?"

Emma put them on the ground in front of her bed. "Yours. I'm not watching you hobble around in your heels again."

"I like my heels."

"I like you better when you're not complaining about your feet for an hour after we get home."

Regina felt herself losing the argument.

"They don't hurt that bad."

"I'm sure they'll feel great when you're not pregnant, but you have a lot more weight on those puppies than usual, so-"

Regina looked up at her, horrified. "What?"

"Shit... no- Regina, I didn't mean-"

"Are you calling me fat?" The older woman almost barked.

The blonde waved her hands wildly. "Of course not - you're just pregnant. It's the miracle of life! There's like probably nine pounds of baby in you right now! That's all I meant!"

"I've gained thirty pounds so far - so what? I just have twenty pounds of lazy, too?"

The tears came out of nowhere and Emma hopped on the bed and took the laptop away, rubbing Regina's arm forcefully. "Stop it! No!"

"I know! I'm fine. I'm fat and nothing fits... an-and I can't get comfortable EVER, this baby just wants to make me miserable, and he hates me- I'm just trapped in this room!... and my feet are so swollen Emma, look at them!"

Emma laughed and shook her head. "Regina! No.."

"Don't laugh at me - I hate you."

"Hey hey hey... stop."

Emma wiped Regina's cheek with her knuckles and crawled down the bed and grabbed the sneakers and loosened the laces nearly all the way and slipped them on Regina's feet, then slowly tying them back up again.

"Is that okay?"

She watched as Regina wiggled her toes and sniffled. Then she nodded slowly.

"You wanna go see this nameless little kiddo, now?"

Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's tone - similar to how she eased Henry through folding his paper airplanes when he was small. He'd gotten so frustrated because it didn't look as pristine as hers had.

"I'm still not telling anyone his name. Not even you." All she did was give Emma her hand and pull herself up with it.

"Next week, your stitches come out and then before you know it, you'll miss all of this pregnancy bullshit."

"Do you miss it?"

Emma shook her head. "Hell no."

* * *

"I know, my mother has been calling me all week."

Katherine laughed over the phone and Emma could hear it across the dining room and into the kitchen.

"It's not funny! Everyone is waiting on me like I have any control! I've been doing laps up and down the stairs and bouncing on that damn ball and walking all around the house and he will not budge. I think he just wants to stay. He's made a home in my belly and now he's comfortable."

"He's squatting. Have you issued him an official eviction notice?"

Regina switched ears. "It's as good as, if you ask me. His due date was last week and I've had the stitches out for three weeks. I'm _done_ being pregnant. I want to _hold_ my baby."

Emma brought her the bowl of apples and peanut butter she'd been whining about for the past half hour and patted her belly. "He'll come when he's ready."

"Emma's right, you know."

She looked at the phone, offended. "How dare you agree with her!"

Henry sat at the other end of the couch and stole one of her apple slices before she could swat his hand away.

Katherine was still laughing on the other end as Regina squinted at her son. The one walking and talking and stealing a pregnant woman's food. "I have to let you go. I'm going to go try to jog or something."

"Good lord, Regina... take it easy."

"Tell David hello for me. And to turn in the copies of those adoption forms from the shelter - the city needs a record-"

"Regina, I'll handle it. I promise. You went on leave three weeks ago and the world hasn't split in two, yet, has it? Let me do my job."

"Let you do _my_ job, is what you mean."

She could see Katherine shaking her head in her mind's eye clear as day. "I'm ready for you to not be pregnant anymore, too. I'm not familiar enough with sassy Regina. This is strange."

The Mayor smiled to herself. "I'll talk to you later."

"Take care."

She handed the phone to Henry who put it back on it's cradle without having to be told.

Before he could come back, Emma swooped in and took his place at Regina's feet and poked at her leg and leaning over to get a better look. "You're belly's doing that gross thing again."

Regina didn't have to look down to know what she was talking about - the protruding little bumps and the slight shaking of her body as the baby moved around inside of her with little to no room to do so. "I know."

"Can I touch it?"

She put her hands up and glared at the other woman. "What's been stopping you the rest of the time? All I have at any moment are hands on me."

"That's because you tell us to!"

"Only... half the time. Maybe."

Regina went to dip another slice of apple into peanut butter but her legs popped up a bit and her toes scrunched as much as her face did. "Ppfffffffffffffffffffffffffff... oh, I feel it in my back..."

Emma checked her watch but just eyed Regina in the mean time. "Well, it's 4:12 so... let's start timing them again."

She just nodded and let her body relax a good ten seconds later.

But fifteen minutes after it happened again.

Then eleven.

And ten minutes regularly for about forty minutes.

Right before Emma would have started dinner Regina shook her head and made the call. "If this isn't real labor I will have them put me in forcibly." She shook her head. "Henry, sweetheart, get the bag. Emma get the keys. One of you call my mother..." she shouted orders all the way out to the car, not having to wait as her little troop swarmed as they all got in the bug and headed toward the hospital.


	14. Chapter 14

Katherine and her mother and Henry were in the waiting room. Sean and Ashley were probably there by now. Ruby, too – but she pushed that thought from her mind as soon as it entered. Their sweet little circle of friends that cared so much about her and called at least once every few days and spoke with her and with Emma and Henry in turns; friends who came over with food and smiles and she realized a while ago that she's thankful for them.

Regina didn't have to be lying in the hospital bed to realize her life hadn't ever been so full.

But Emma was in the room. She didn't leave once unless she was asked. If Regina really thought about it, the fact worried her almost as much as it filled her with this wonderful sense of comfort.

There she was again, rubbing careful circles on the middle of her back – then lower. Regina held her breath and that's where Emma's hand started to press with the ball of her palm, massaging the pain away. Not away. It's not gone but the fact that the blonde knew where it was and how to read her makes it a little more bearable. Her eyes had been closed for what felt like years, but she couldn't focus on anything but that insane pressure, squeezing so hard on everything inside of her, like her organs and flesh were being twisted into oblivion.

"Do you want more ice?" Emma asked so gently, the purr of one of the machines almost drowned her out.

But Regina shook her head and let out her breath slowly. "Not just yet."

Damn it, there it was again. That same pressure squeezing down and in on itself and she didn't even know pain could be like this. Her legs curled up a little more as she whimpered and felt her face twist in agony. Regina had to press her head into the bar attached to her bed, gripping tightly with one hand and holding her belly with the other.

Emma kept echoing her breathing… or leading her. Regina couldn't be sure but she knew she appreciated it.

The blonde was the only one she could stand since all of this had started.

Henry was the first to retreat into the waiting room, though it was really for the best. The first two hours he'd come and go when she could stand to actually make eye contact with him – between contractions and this god awful hell she was feeling from her eyebrows down to her toes. She understood he shouldn't see her in so much distress. Even the most calm and collected eleven year olds can't understand that childbirth means enduring insane amounts of pain and knowing that was how it was supposed to go.

Her mother didn't even come in the room. She gave a horrid, ghostly wave from the doorway and whispered her love in the most unfamiliar of high-pitched tones before fleeing.

Everyone else was a blur. Coming and going and wishing her well in hushed voices. Except for Emma.

She was there and asking all the right questions, treating her to all the right nudges and words of encouragement. Regina wasn't sure if she'd give the Sheriff a raise or build an addition to the house after this, but her presence was invaluable. She had to chalk it up to her being the only one who'd done this before or the fact she'd already been so used to waiting on her for the past five months. But Regina was grateful.

And annoyed.

But mostly she was ready to have this damn baby.

The contraction subsided, and her shoulders relaxed.

Regina opened her eyes and caught Emma's calm gaze as the other woman lifted her hand to sweep back the hair that had fallen in her face. Her eyes went glassy all over again.

Emma leaned her chin on the bar, bending so they were right in each other's faces. "What's wrong?" Her voice was quiet and simple, not demanding an answer, but opening up the floor.

"I just feel like it's never going to end."

Her fingers were still smoothing back hair, but a knowing smirk planted itself on her mouth. "I know."

A few tears slipped from her eyes and Emma swept them away immediately. "How long did it take with Henry?"

"They told me nineteen hours. I think I started feeling stuff the day before, though, too."

Her lip curled under at the thought – she was on hour four and if it were to last fifteen more she didn't know if she would survive.

"You can still get drugs if you want? It's not too late."

Regina just shook her head.

"Okay."

One of the nurses came back in to check her, so Regina mustered up all the composure she had to twist her body on to her back without screaming at the young woman. She was only doing her job, but Regina couldn't help but thinking, I'm fat, and pregnant and hormonal, and they're going to stick their fingers WHERE and expect me to be happy about it? But she did it. And when the blanket was pulled back over and the nurse smiles, announcing she's at a five.

Emma got the cup of ice chips without being asked, and Regina dunked her hand in and chewed on mouthfuls at a time.

Two more contractions came and went before Regina grabbed on to Emma's hand and held it under her chin.

She put the cup down and raked her barely-there fingernails up and down Regina's back.

"I'm so happy you're here."

Emma didn't say anything, but that might have been for the best.

"Imagine my mother trying to help me through."

That made her laugh. "Yeah… except it would be you helping her not lose her shit and failing because you're in labor." She almost sounded like Regina, all throaty and smug. "Why's she so nervous out there?"

"I told you; she doesn't like seeing me in pain."

"Okay, but that doesn't answer, why?"

Regina sighed, happy for the momentary reprieve. "I'm not sure. I know it's been since I was small, though." She pointed to her lip. "My father was teaching me to ride my bike and I fell within the first ten minutes. My teeth split my lip open and she wailed all the way to the hospital and called my father a fool. I ended up with two stitches and never got on a bicycle again."

"You don't know how to ride a bike?"

She shook her head with a grin. "Teach me?"

There was something honestly lost in Emma's eyes for a moment before she smiled and muttered "Yeah," and moved away again. And Regina couldn't follow her and ask questions because her body was on high-alert, waiting for the next contraction and cautiously happy for the moment of relative peace.

It was only a few seconds though, then Emma was right back behind her with a hair tie and working as quickly as possible to make the pony tail so she could lay back down and relax.

"Who's all out there now?"

"Sean just took Alex home, but Ashley said she wanted to stay here for you. Katherine and your mom, and Ruby.. Henry's probably gone through his fourth chocolate pudding by now."

"Good Lord."

"Henry wants to stay, though. Until kiddo is here."

Regina just sighed and closed her eyes again. "…If you find a bed for him. He needs to get to sleep at some point. He can't be in the room, though."

"God, no."

She opened her mouth to speak again but there was more pain – a little heavier this time and she couldn't stamp down the high groan that she hummed out. Her legs came up a little higher as she pressed her chin down as far as it would go.

Emma didn't say anything as she wet a wash cloth and put it on Regina's neck delicately, but didn't touch her after that. Not during contractions, and Regina still thought it was amazing she knew exactly what to do or what not to do. Not for the first time in the past few months, it rang through Regina's mind; what would I do without Emma Swan?

* * *

It'd been a long eleven hours, and Henry had gone to sleep and woken up a few times. Cora was still sitting there like she had been the whole time – eyes wide and horrified, but somehow the only one to walk with Henry down to the cafeteria over and over again. He was sitting with cereal and Emma was sure it had to be her third coffee.

Katherine just got back to the hospital a half hour ago and Ashley was on her way back with Alex any moment.

The thought flashed in her mind – not in a million years would she see herself surrounded by so many people she knew at six in the morning unless she was in the fucking twilight zone.

Actually, she was surrounded by people she chose to be around, helping her best friend have a baby while her son was in the waiting room. If anything was closer to the twilight zone they would all be fairy tale characters living in modern times with horribly written dialogue.

"Hey." Emma bounded out into the waiting room, nodding and bouncing on her toes. "Regina's almost ready to push, so… just filling you guys in!" She gave the thumbs up and went quickly to kiss Henry's head.

He stood up and grabbed her hand. "When do you think he'll be here?"

"I don't know kid?" She grinned. "But it'll probably be before like eight. Give it a couple hours and you'll get to see him."

Cora's face twisted into some sort of agony. "It'll take two hours for… Regina-"

Emma rolled her eyes. "It takes a while sometimes. She could push for fifteen minutes or a few hours. It all depends on her body and the doctors."

She didn't wait for anyone else to interrupt before she went back and grabbed on to Regina's hand without a second thought.

And holy shit, was she a trooper. No drugs or anything other than deep breaths to help with the pain and she was still going strong. Sure she was groaning through most of it, but she stuck with her plan and didn't complain once. Emma smiled at the thought again. Regina was tough. And as much as she wished she could take some of the pain away she was glad Regina was hanging in there.

Somehow at the same time, she'd never looked so young. Her hair, now damp from exasperation s tucked behind her ear, she had no makeup on, and this constant look of determination on her face.

"Ready to do this?" She grinned.

Regina just nodded and looked at the young woman who'd been prepping everything and then looked back quickly. The nurse looked between Emma and Regina for the millionth time and went over counting to ten at least with every push, but for Regina to follow what her body was telling her.

"Don't work yourself too har-"

"Okay, can I push now?!"

Emma smiled at the young woman's face; probably not super familiar with having someone boss her around while she was delivering their baby. But she nodded anyway.

And Regina squeezed Emma's hand in two hard pumps before taking a deep breath, and they counted as she put her chin to her chest, holding her eyes shut tightly.

"One,

"Two,

"Three,

"Four,

"Five,

"Six,

"Seven,

"Eight,

"Nine,

"Ten…"

Regina growled out, low and pained and let her head fall back.

A few seconds later, they all watched as the Mayor sucked in another large breath and nodded, doing it all over again.

* * *

Regina swore if one more random member of the medical staff came up to her and told her to breathe, she was going to scream at them until they cried.

But honestly she didn't have the energy.

She did everything she was supposed to- followed her body, focused, and put the pain aside – instead envisioning her son swaddled it white with the little blue cap on being placed in her arms. The seemingly endless pain would all be worth it. It had to be.

But after two hours, she wasn't sure it would be as easy as the books illustrated. Two hours of back to back pushing and it didn't feel like she was making any progress at all. They tried turning him twice and that was more painful than the contractions, and still nothing changed.

Whale asked Emma out into the hall, but she didn't go until Regina nodded and let her head fall back for a moment.

God her head was spinning and pounding at the same time. Her whole body was heavy, but still shaking. Two hours but it felt like twelve years.

"Regina."

She opened her eyes and Emma was right there again. Only her hand didn't go to her knee like she expected. That was her job – she was holding her knee back and holding her hand, and counting. But her face was in this awful frown.

As soon as she shook her head, Regina knew.

"No… No, I don't want-"

"We don't have a choice. Kiddo's heart rate has been falling for the past fifteen minutes, and he's still not moving on his own – we have to do something."

"I can do it." She nodded.

Emma smoothed her hair back and smiled sadly. "You absolutely can. But you have to let them help you."

"Em-"

"They know what they're talking about, I promise. Pushing isn't safe anymore, for you or the baby, Regina. We have to get him out."

The tears and sobbing started right then.

She knew what was going to happen. The decision seemed like it was already made for her, but she still shook her head and lost her mind.

One of the machines started beeping, and whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Everyone was barking orders at her, but she was in too much pain. Everything that she'd endured physically didn't matter now, they were just going to cut her open, and she wouldn't be able to walk around and take care of her baby for the better part of a month. She couldn't get around and make Henry lunch like she planned. She'd have to lay in bed and heal, hopped up on pain medication and out of it. And she'd have a big ugly scar for the rest of her life.

"Regina!"

Emma was yelling at her, but she didn't notice until just then.

When she opened her eyes, they were putting a cap on her and sitting her up.

Shit, they were already prepping her for surgery.

Emma was in scrubs and a cap already.

"You have to breathe! Look at me – take deep breaths, Regina! Breathe with me."

She heard her own wheezing and gulped hard. She realized how tight her chest felt. God, they were all in a different room now. Three nurses and Whale all in masks and scrubs and those morbid looking full-body aprons and gloves.

"You have to calm her down right now or we're going to knock her out!" Whale warned.

But Emma's hands were on either side of her head, pulling their foreheads together as she lead the deep breathing exercises on the DVDs Regina bought.

Her head was a bit clearer, but Whale started to push her forward, placing a hand on her lower back.

"Okay, they're going to do the spinal now."

She imagined the giant needle and started shaking her head and crying all over again.

"No! Alright – don't freak out. Look at me!"

Regina opened her eyes. Emma smiled at her and ran her thumbs across her cheek bones. "Talk to me – tell me his name, Regina. What's his name?"

"Emmet." She spat out. Not thinking.

Emma's face dropped, and Regina nodded and grinned through her tears.

"You're naming your baby after me?"

Regina tried to laugh, but it came out in more tears.

Whales hand went just a bit lower and stayed firm. Emma gave her a look and this time she was prepared. It didn't compare to the pain in the rest of her body.

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Good fucking job, there. Why the hell would you name a baby after me, Regina? I don't even know how to make grilled cheese without ruining your kitchen."

She shook her head. "Because you're kind, and so generous, and loving, and I know the first child I got from you was perfect so… maybe the namesake would do well on this one."

The way Emma's eyes twinkled and watered was enough to take her out of the moment, and she was thankful. Her hand went up to wipe her tears away and Regina leaned into the touch and closed her eyes.

"Can you feel your toes?"

Regina looked down and tried to wiggle them. "I can't move them."

Slowly the pain started to filter away, and they laid her down on the table, having to pull her legs for her. Emma lead her breathing again and held her hand tightly as the large blue curtain was pulled up at her chest.

"You're doing great, mamma bear."

Regina smiled, but didn't open her eyes. She could still vaguely feel herself shaking behind her anxiety over the whole situation. This was not how childbirth was supposed to go. She had a plan and everything was supposed to go smoothly. Emergency C-section was not-

"We're going to start now, alright? You're going to feel some slight pressure and a bit of tugging, but nothing sharp."

"Alright." She tried to match his volume, but her voice came out hoarse and wavering.

Emma's hand squeezed hers, the other consistently sweeping hair back from her forehead in gentle motions. "What's his middle name?"

"I think.. Nathaniel. Or Nathan. I was going to ask you which you though sounded better before Mills."

"Nathaniel."

Regina nodded.

"Emmet Nathaniel Mills… you sure you want a little me running around?"

"Considering I've already raised one?"

Emma laughed. "How did you pick Henry's name out?"

"Henry was my father's name. I've always known that I would name a son after my father, if I'd had one."

"You never talk about him."

"I don't even talk about him with my mother."

"Why not?"

Regina rolled her head to the side. "There's a lot of pain there. He went very suddenly when I still needed him… and I'm not sure I've ever grieved properly." She gulped. "That, and I'm not one to indulge my emotions too often."

"Eh, I mean you talk about your feelings."

She shook her head. "Sure, I've rationalized them and spoken on my feelings since I've been pregnant, but… very seldom do I let them make the decisions for me. I think that's why I was with Graham for such a long time. It made sense without taking my own emotions into consideration."

Emma just nodded and kept her fingers going, carding through the hair just above her ear, and Regina closed her eyes to the feeling, allowing it to calm her and ease away the reality of the fact she was undergoing major surgery. But she could feel Emma's big ocean eyes on her the whole time.

"Stop staring at me."

She opened her eyes to Emma's soft, unassuming smile.

"Well, I'm not going to peek at what Whale's doing."

Regina nodded. "Probably turning me into Frankenstein's Monster."

Emma laughed. "You're making jokes while he's cutting you open?"

"How else am I to cope?"

"…. I guess."

Regina adjusted their hands carefully. "Is this where you pictured yourself?"

Emma frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Pushing thirty and being part of this little hodge-podge family of ours in small town Maine?"

"Exactly." Emma nodded, not missing a beat. "All that's missing is my jack-rustle terrier named Lunch Box and a… white picket fence."

"Pongo and my rod iron are close enough, I think." The smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "You've been here a whole year, if you wanted a dog, you could have gotten one by now."

"Oh, and have it live at your house this whole time?"

"Not on your life."

Emma laughed and Regina closed her eyes again. But the wheels turning in Emma's head could probably be heard from down the block or so.

"I have been here over a year, right?"

"Yes."

"So… that means you're another year older."

"Your skills of observation never cease to impress me."

Emma flicked her arm lightly. "Why didn't we celebrate your birthday?"

"I don't…" The table shook and Regina looked down for a moment, as though she would be able to see through the fabric separating her from her surgery.

Whale's voice came from the other side of the curtain. "You alright?"

"Am I, doctor? You tell me."

"Just a few more minutes."

Regina's head dropped back onto the table and she sucked in a large breath before closing her eyes and addressing the blonde. "I don't celebrate my birthday."

"Why not?"

She could see it in Emma's face now; this was more about keeping her mind off of what was happening than anything else. Just pressing for her to keep talking, and it had been working. But her focus had been pulled back to the horrible set of circumstances they were in now.

It wasn't until Emma's hand started through her hair again that Regina noticed her breathing getting a little faster, or the knot starting to form in her throat.

"You're fine. Everything's going to be okay."

Regina shook her head. "What if we waited too long?"

"Look at me."

She did, her eyes hit Emma's and she let her friend stroke the fallen tear away from her cheek slowly.

"Regina, I'm right here. And whatever happens I'm going to stay right here, and you're going to be fine. Your baby is going to be fine, and you're going to go home in a couple days and not stop kissing his face for a month straight. Henry's going to read him books, and you can do the DIY baby food and everything is going to be perfect."

"Okay, Regina."

They both turned their heads to the curtain again.

"You're going to feel a lot of pressure, but no pain."

The brunette gulped and squeezed Emma's hand. "I'm ready."

Whale asked what time it was in a whisper to one of the nurses before she felt anything, but when she felt the tugging and yanking and the table shook again. Of course she didn't read anything on caesarian sections – that wasn't the plan, so she didn't care to learn. But, dear god, did she wish she could turn back the clock and ask every question she could.

But suddenly, everyone was talking again, only in whispers but it sounded panicked. Tools started clinking together and making noise and two of the nurses took the baby right over to the table on the other side of the room without stopping over at all.

"Can I see him?" Regina tried to yell, but her words came out strangled and nervous. She shook at Emma's hand but didn't take her eyes off of the nurses backs. "Emma, he's not crying."

"Do you want me to look or stay-"

"Emma, stay right where you are!" Whale bellowed from the other side of the curtain.

"What's happening?" She yelled.

The nurse that was helping deliver before they were moving into the OR peeked around the corner and made very deliberate eye contact. "The cord was wrapped around his neck. We're clearing his airways right now-"

And there was the cry.

Everyone looked over, and one of the nurses turned around and gave a nod, her cheeks bubbling over her mask, showing her smile. "He's fine. Probably has a killer head ache."

Finally, Regina got a whole breath into her chest.

He was okay.

Emma grinned at her, tears in her eyes now, too. "I told you so."

"Cherish this moment – this one time I don't hate you for being right."

They smiled and stared at the table until they swaddled the baby up and handed him to Emma so Regina could keep him close and hold his hand as they closed her up.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:: There was a particularly rude comment left on this story not to long ago (over on ff, not on this site), I've already sent something back as to voice my frustrations but for everyone else, I would just like to lay some concerns to rest.
> 
> This is an SQ story and I will get there. I like slow burn and I want things to play out like I imagined it when I picked the story back up and got this giant rush of inspiration, and I'm going to try my hardest to stick to it and make it interesting. Also, I think it's more realistic for both of them to be stubborn and hard headed when it comes to their feelings more than anything else. My motivation is sound and I do my best to illustrate that through the story. I appreciate everyone who supports that and gives me positive feedback and constructive criticism. I'd also like to remind everyone that I myself and I'm sure many other authors of fan fiction work really hard on what we put into the world, and are fairly sensitive about it. Sending out opinions that are neither constructive nor serve any sort of actual point is hurtful and rude, and could very well make someone walk away from a story for fear of embarrassment.
> 
> I'm continuing for those who are interested in where this is going and for myself, because I really want to complete something I think is good.
> 
> Many many thanks again to Sammichbatch who helped me make sense of myself even though that's quite a task. I trust my writing more when it goes through her.
> 
> Remember you are loved. I mean it. Someone loves you so much and wants you to be happy because you deserve happiness - everyone does.

The photographer got to the hospital just after 2pm, and was only there for about forty five minutes.

Turned out, the namesake did nothing as far as influencing Emmet's personality so far. He sat through the whole thing peacefully, mostly with his eyes closed. Emma moved him from one place to another as pictures were snapped of the infant in a basket, delicately placed on top of the blankets inside, and on his mother's chest, though Regina was only featured as far her lips on his forehead, or his face tucked into her neck.

The few images the blonde peeked at were all simple and beautiful.

When the photographer left, it was just the four of them again- Regina looking wistfully at Henry holding his new brother, and Emma hovering over them, making sure there were pillows under Henry's arm and that he was holding the baby well enough.

The hours after his birth were relieving and far less stressful than they would have imagined. Emmet lost the purple tinge to his lips before he was an hour old, and there was no bruising on his neck, thank god. Whale said it probably had to do with turning him while Regina was still trying to deliver naturally, so it hadn't been that long. Regina wasn't as high as she expected to be from the pain medication, and he wasn't having any trouble feeding. In fact he'd already eaten three times.

"He's so tiny." Henry whispered, looking over at his mother.

She just smiled.

"Kid's almost ten pounds, so… that's actually considered pretty big for a baby." Emma shrugged.

"Yeah, but he's… it's weird. And awesome. Like.. he's like this but he's going to get big like us one day." His eyes lit up as he explained.

Emmet made small grunts, but didn't look agitated.

Henry looked at him and smiled. "I think he's talking back to me."

"I think he might be." Regina yawned.

He looked at Emma. "How big was I when I was born?"

Regina saw the 'oh shit' look pass over Emma's face and cleared her throat. "You were exactly nine pounds at your first doctor's appointment after I brought you home."

"Really?"

She nodded.

Emma looked back at her with a tight smile, and Regina gave her a tired wink in return.

Henry turned back to the baby and spoke softly. "I guess you are bigger than I was then, brother."

The blonde kept an eye on them but sat down on the side of Regina's bed. "He's going to be great with him."

"You're surprised?"

"I thought he might be a little jealous."

Regina shrugged. "There'll be plenty of time for that."

They both stared at Henry petting the wispy dark hair on the top of Emmet's head gently for a moment before Emma looked at her quickly. "You never answered my question!"

"Which question?"

"Why we didn't get to party on your birthday – when is it?"

Regina shook her head.

"Nah, tell me. You got to scare the shit out of me on my birthday." She grinned.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Emma snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

Regina bit her lip and looked back at her sons. "I don't like celebrating my birthday."

"Because you're old?"

"You're awful, you know that?"

Emma nodded. "Of course."

Regina laughed again, then raised an eyebrow. "You really want to know?"

"Yeah."

She took a long moment before sighing. "You can't laugh at me."

"Regina. When. Is. Your. Birthday."

"February fourteenth."

Emma grinned in a wide, ridiculous way. "You're a valentine's day baby?"

"Precisely why I don't celebrate it."

"Did people tease you about it?"

"Every year."

"We're going to celebrate this year."

Regina rolled her eyes.

It was a few moments later, and she refused to make eye contact, but Regina definitely muttered, "Sure."

* * *

 

Emmet Nathaniel Mills, Nov 7th  
9lbs 11oz  
19 in.

Graham flipped the picture over of the baby swaddled with a sleepy frown on his face as he lay in the generic hospital bassinet.

His hand swept over his face and he stared at the image for a long time. Regina's voice played in his head, and he listened to it. He was going to be loved, and taken care of, and that's all that should matter.

The picture made it's home in one of the pockets of Graham's travel bag, hidden away, but always close by.

* * *

 

The whimpering beside her and the pain starting to rear its ugly head from her incision woke Regina up.

She reached over and grabbed her friend's arm gently. "Emma…"

Immediately, her head popped up and looked around her – Regina, the baby lying in the bed between them between them, Henry on the couch pushed against the wall of the study, then the clock.

"I need-"

"Got it." She said in a gruff voice.

Emma sat up and helped Regina prop herself up the tiniest bit and put another pillow under her arm so she didn't have to ware her arm out holding Emmet up while she fed him. Then she handed the baby over to her.

It would be another week or two before Regina could be up and move around on her own without the pain, so Emma did what she'd done for nearly a year, and helped. It only made sense for her to be in the same bed – be the other book end so Regina wouldn't worry about Emmet falling off and to be second in command for whatever came up, or that's what they told themselves. Henry moved himself in with his blanket and comics so he could 'help' too.

"And could you-"

Emma yawned before getting out of bed and pointing to Regina's bed side table. "I already set the alarm on your phone." She reached down and pulled her pain meds out of the top drawer. Two pills at 6am and two more at 6pm. "You've got a couple minutes… I'll go get you some water."

Before Emma could go, Regina grabbed her hand. "I appreciate you."

Emma smirked. "Good."

She touched Regina's nose with the tip of her finger and Regina batted it away, sticking out her tongue.

* * *

Of course Regina refused to listen to anyone on her own recovery. Six days after delivery she was already up and walking around – not quite back to normal, but refusing to let a schedule dictate how quickly she was able to take care of herself. She allowed Emma to stay and take paid time off to help her only because she knew that taking care of Emmet meant having an extra pair of hands that weren't so tired.

Emma went back home and back to work a week later, and by the end of November, Regina started working from home again. The only thing that changed really was that Emma now slept at her own apartment, she still came over every morning to get Henry to school before winter break, went over to the mansion for dinner and to help put the kids to bed before having a glass of wine with the Mayor, and leaving to start it all over again.

Until that fateful night only a week into December, Emma got a call at two in the morning from Regina's cell phone.

Emma rubbed her eyes but stayed laying down as she pulled her phone off the charger. "Hello?"

Regina sniffled over Emmet's screaming in the background. "Can you come over?"

"Regina… what-" She looked at the time and rolled out of bed, slipping her house shoes on. "What's going on?"

"The baby won't stop crying! I've tried- I can't-"

"It's okay. I'm on my way."

"Thank you."

"Hang tight."

Four minutes later, Emma unlocked the front door and found Regina pacing with Emmet strapped to her front in his carrier, both crying.

Regina shook her head and kept bouncing as she walked. "I've tried everything. He's been like this for two hours- two and a half, Emma-"

"You did the…" She made a circle in the air with her hand.

Regina nodded. "I put him under the mobile – I fed him, and changed him and I tried to see if a bath would calm him down but I think he hates me."

"He can't hate you, Regina. He's a month old, he doesn't know how to hate yet, his brain is like this big." She made a circle with her index finger.

Regina hit her arm as Emma lifted him into her arms. "Don't say that!"

"He doesn't care! It's true. He doesn't have the capacity for hate right now." She laughed as she nestled his face just above her shoulder, making 'sh'ing noises and patting his butt.

"You're going to give him a complex or som…." The brunette just stared as he started to quiet down, whimpering softly instead of the wailing he'd been carrying on with just moments ago. "How did you do that?"

"Simple," Emma leaned her head back against the couch and shrugged. "He loves me and he hates you."

Regina hit her again. "Shut up!"

Emma smiled and closed her eyes.

She let out a sigh and stared at them for a minute, then stood up and rolled her shoulders out. "Would you like coffee?"

"Yeah, I'll make it in a minute – go get some sleep."

"I'll make it." She dismissed and headed into the kitchen.

The coffee was made, but the cups cooled on the coffee table as all three of them dozed off on the couch together, Regina's head falling on Emma's free shoulder sometime before four in the morning.

* * *

People kept filing into the kitchen as Emma lit the candles on Henry's cake. Regina had already started scooping ice cream into small bowls while Cora held Emmet, his face squished against her collar bone, but his eyes had become wide awake in the past week, taking in the world around him.

Henry corralled his friends, all dressed as their favorite super hero, into the dining room. As they waited, Sean and Katherine's husband David entertained them with a cinematic fight, full of fake crashing noises every time one of them landed a punch in slow motion. Ashley had made her now fiancé dress up as Magnito from the X-Men, while her and Alex just wore t-shirts with Rogue and Storm on them. Not that it was a requirement – the party was superhero themed, but most of the kids just came with accessories, not whole outfits.

Katherine hovered over Emma and Regina after they insisted they didn't need any help, and Ashley had to sit her down on one of the bar stools so she'd stop trailing them and begging.

"Don't mess up the groove – They're like perfectly in sync, watch." The young blonde nodded over and set Alexandra down so she could clumsily plod after her father.

"We are not! We're just hurrying." Regina smiled.

Ruby came by on her way to the living room with presents in tow – peeking her head in. "Is this the last of them?"

"Did she get the ones, on top.." Regina motioned with her hands above her head.

Emma looked to Ruby with raised eye brows. "In the laundry room in the cupboards?"

The waitress grinned and nodded.

"Yeah, thank you." They both said at the same time.

Ashley laughed. "I told you. It's like they share a brain. It's weird."

Emma gave her a glare. "Which is still one more than you have."

"They even talk the same, now." Katherine's mouth dropped a little in feigned shock.

Sean stood at the entry way to the dining room with Alex on his hip and panting the smallest bit. "Almost ready? I don't think I can keep this up much longer."

"Yeah- yeah, two seconds." Emma took the scooper and the ice cream from Regina's hands and put the camera in them instead, nodding in the direction of the children yelling for another battle. "Come on, they'll end up drinking the ice cream anyway."

"No, dear." Cora shook her head and got in between them, handing the baby off to her daughter and taking the camera away. "I'll play photographer, go enjoy your son." She said all too calmly.

Without any other affirmation from her daughter or the sheriff, Cora went into the dining room and started the bellowing Happy Birthday song.

There wasn't much room for anything other than carrying the cake out, only sending the curious look over to Regina, who only had a shrug to respond with.

By the ending 'Happy Birthday to yoouuuuu' line was finished, Henry smiled to himself before squeezing his eyes shut and blowing out the candles.

* * *

 

It wasn't even a question that Emma would wake up with the Mills family on Christmas morning. She and Henry made a fort in the living room, just so the adults could make sure he was sleeping before moving the Christmas Presents in.

Of course Emma had to wait until Regina was busy in the kitchen before she brought the one's she'd bought in from the car.

Just like last year they took turns going around and opening presents while Henry's new copy of the Grinch on Blu-ray played in the background. The few things under the tree for Emmet were just to let Henry help his baby brother – socks, onesies with funny things written on them, and shoes Emmet would never wear as anything more than decoration.

It was quiet, and simple.

Regina was expecting something sweet from Henry and Emma like the year before, but when boxes of varying sizes were pushed her way, she frowned.

"What are these?"

Emma smiled from behind her coffee. "The point is to open them, I'm pretty sure."

The baby kicked wildly from across the room in his bouncer, making the little huffing noises that were attributed to him being amused in some way.

Regina made a silly face at him, and started on the biggest one, but it was in a generic cardboard box, so she had to get inside of it to see the car-seat she'd been eyeing for when Emmet outgrew the infant one they had that clicked into the base. "Emma…"

"Open the tiny one last."

Her eyes stayed on the blonde for a moment. She knew it was expensive, so the fact that she'd only gotten Emma another cook book and a new leather jacket that was just a bit more sleek made a knot form in her stomach.

"Come on, my clothes are going out of style." Emma grinned.

Reluctantly Regina opened the next one. This one was still in its original packaging – a back brace that the model was shown wearing under her clothes with only a minor additional bulk to her frame. Regina turned her head. "…Because Emmet's carrier-"

She shrugged. "You said it hurt your back, so… yeah."

"Thank you."

"Oh, don't thank me yet." The Sheriff pointed to the last little box. "One more."

Regina's mind jumped straight to jewelry. Maybe something to match her bracelet from the year before, but the sly look Emma threw at Henry made her suspicious.

And inside the box was a smaller box, and Henry laughed, making the same face Emma would make right before Regina walked into the kitchen to find dinner already made and ready to serve.

With one eyebrow raised to her son, and then to Emma she opened the box, but when she looked down the smile slid from her face.

"What?"

Emma bit her lips.

Regina picked up the keys and frowned at the other woman.

"Press the button."

"Emma."

"Do it."

Regina pressed the lock button and sure enough, a loud beeping sound came from the front of the house.

"You didn't."

Emma was already up and grabbing the baby before she ushered Regina up and off the couch. "Go look."

Sure enough, Regina looked out the window and a large black SUV sat in front of the gate.

"You got me a car?"

Emma grinned.

"Where's my car?"

"In the garage, where you left it. Come on - You can't haul the kids around in the Benz… there aren't enough seats, and this one is family friendly and all that crap."

"Emma, you bought me a car?!" Regina's brows were knitted together and her mouth still hanging open. She shook her head and started to hand the keys over. "I can't- you shouldn't have-"

Emma closed her free hand over Regina's and pushed them back. "You would never get one for yourself… and you need it."

"No, no your car can carry-"

"You hate my car, Regina – just take it."

"It's too much."

Emma rolled her eyes. "It's fine."

Regina frowned and rolled her head to the side.

"Do you like it?"

All Regina could do was huff, but nod her head softly before hugging Emma around her shoulders, carefully avoiding Emmet who was tangling his fingers into the yellow hair by his head. "Please switch the payments over into my name." She whispered.

"It's already paid for. I still have a ton in savings from bonding." She shrugged.

Regina pulled back with wide eyes again. "Let me pay you back."

"Sure - in lasagna and sugar cookies." She shrugged.

Emma cut her off as soon as she opened her mouth again, before she could start harping on her. "You can say thank you now." She grinned obnoxiously while walking back to the couch and plopping down to put Emmet on her thighs and try to get him to copy her faces.

* * *

 

Sean and Ashley raced around their tiny house, getting everyone outside just before midnight with the Television blaring inside so everyone would be able to hear the count down.

Emmet was asleep on Regina's chest in his sling, Henry right beside her, looking toward the sky and waiting for the fireworks. Her hands were expertly placed over her children's ears, one covering Emmet's ear and making sure he was warm and pressed into her chest, and the other making sure Henry was still properly holding his closed.

"It's not too late." Ruby bumped Emma's shoulder from where they sat on the porch.

But Emma just shook her head. "Ruby…"

"Just go kiss her on the cheek. If she takes it wrong, then you can explain it away… just say you felt sorry for her or something and laugh it off."

"Ten! Nine! Eight!"

Ruby pushed her again. "Go!"

"Not tonight."

"Coward."

"Shouldn't surprise you." Emma sighed.

"Three! Two! One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone yelled in unison.

They watched as Regina bent down and kissed Henry's head. He hugged his mom back and Regina's face dipped down to kiss her baby as well.

A familiar lump made its way to Emma's throat as she turned her eyes to the sky and took in the lights.

The waitress groaned, and leaned over. She kissed Emma's cheek sloppily and leaned her head on the blonde's shoulder. "Happy New Year, Em."

Emma smiled to herself and wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder. "Happy New Year."

They didn't see the shock in Regina's face as her eyes landed on them, scanning for Emma in the small crowd. But she looked away almost as soon as she'd found them. The mayor gulped down the realization her mind made for her, and held her children just a little tighter.

* * *

 

The snow from Christmas was starting to melt away when the kids went back to school. Regina went into the office two days a week, taking Emmet with her, and worked from home the rest of the time. It had worked out that whenever she needed to be in a meeting, Emma or her mother could watch the baby, but other than that, they were never separated.

Kids took their time descending the steps of after the final bell rang, ice starting to set in rather than the crisp white that marked the holiday.

Mary Margaret watched from the window as Henry hugged Emma and then hopped in the back of the SUV. She watched even more closely as Emma closed the door after him and climbed in the passenger seat, grinning all the way. As they drove away a hot ache set itself in her chest.

It felt a lot like loneliness or regret, most likely somewhere in between – wondering if things would be the same had she been able to make different choices in her life. She wondered if she was crazy or if the world would be crazy enough to bring a baby she never got the chance to know back to her. She wondered if this Emma was the same Emma, and if not then why all the heartache all over again? Why would she have eyes and that bright, honest smile she recognized and dismissed a hundred times?

Her walk home sent her right past her house and six streets over, to a house she remembered sneaking into in the early hours of the morning after spending hours in the back of a pickup truck by the lake. Images of a childhood cut short filtered into her mind.

Knocking on the door wasn't half as difficult as seeing the face behind it. He didn't look nearly as old as she felt, but the sad frown on his face was more than enough hello for the both of them.

"Hi." He said anyway.

"Hello David." She smiled in the shy way she always had. "Is Katherine home?"

"No. She had a conference in Seattle just after the New Year."

Their eyes held for a moment.

"Do you… would you like to come in?"

She shook her head.

He walked out and closed the door, crossing his arms. "It's cold out here."

"It's…" She saw her breath in the air. "Sobering."

He nodded.

"How are you?"

David shrugged. "Cold?" He laughed.

Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"How've you been?"

Her eyes went to the window and the little knickknacks that filled the shelf behind the glass. Mementos from a life he'd lived with his wife. That tinge of jealousy and hurt grabbed at her shoulders and heated her fingertips. "Do you remember… that year before you went to college?"

He sighed and kicked a few bits of frost from the welcome mat, but nodded.

"Do you know why I went away?"

It seemed like he couldn't look at her – instead his eyes stayed trained on the little frozen windmill in his front yard. "I… I guessed."

"Do you ever think about it?"

"I…"

She stared as his nostrils flared and the corners of his eyes became red.

"David."

He cleared his throat. "Mary Margaret, that was.. thirty years-"

"Twenty nine." She corrected. "She would have been twenty nine in October."

He balled his hand into a fist and held it over his mouth.

They stood there for a long time, David unable to look at her in the eye and Mary Margret him in the face.

"I'm sorry."

The school teacher's frown deepened as she realized that would be it. There wasn't anything left that was helpful. She'd opened the floodgates, and now she had to wait for courage, or pieces to fall into place… or a miracle.

* * *

 

Regina tip toed down the hall, just outside the door to the nursery.

The little gurgled laughter could be heard from half way down the stairs, and she didn't want to interrupt just yet. Emmet could just barely keep his head up, but he tried his hardest to keep his eyes on everything he could.

There they lay – Emma on her belly across from the infant, making funny faces at him and wiggling her fingers just above his eye line, trying to get him to use the muscles developing in his neck.

"Watch 'em, bug!" The blonde said in a high pitched voice. "You got this."

Emmet cooed back at her, his arms and legs going all at once, trying to get momentum enough to peek at her. But his fun quickly turned into frustration – a lip quivering as his giggles changed to tiny grunts and whimpers.

Regina watched silently as Emma waited a few moments, then got a squeaky toy and tried all over again, gaining his attention and getting him to follow as she lifted it, and Emmet getting frustrated all over again.

When he broke out into a real cry, Emma finally sat up and scooped Emmet into her arms, laying his head on her shoulder. "Okay, kiddo. You're okay." She rubbed his back. "Good try."

Regina cleared her throat and both of them looked at her with their eyebrows raised at the same moment.

"Tummy time going well?"

"He's trying really hard." Emma grinned.

Regina looked at the two of them for a moment before folding her arms. "Dinner's ready whenever you two are."

"We're not waiting for Henry?"

A smile grew on the brunette's face. "Henry just called and asked if he could stay at the twin's house for dinner."

"Really?" Emma got up and readjusted the baby. "You're joking?"

"No. I'm supposed to pick him up at eight."

"He's making friends."

Regina stepped aside as they made their way downstairs. "Looks like you're not such a horrible influence after all."

* * *

 

Ashley covered her mouth so fast, it made Emma and Ruby roll their eyes at the same time.

"No!" She spoke through her hand. "Really?"

"You didn't know?" Ruby raised an eyebrow.

The older blonde just scooted a little lower in the couch and stared into her beer bottle.

"I just thought you guys were really good friends! I didn't.. I mean it didn't really cross my mind."

"Oh, whatever. Emma's gayer than a three dollar bill."

Ashley laughed, and picked up her slice of pizza again. "Does… do you think Regina knows?"

"I don't think so?" Emma shrugged.

"Jesus, if she hasn't caught on by now she's just dumb." Ruby nudged her friend with her foot.

"She's not dumb."

"So why don't you just tell her?" Ashley shrugged. "It feels like she should already have an idea."

Ruby cackled. "No, no no – Em bought her a car, takes care of her kids, and took her and the brats to Boston for her freaking birthday weekend." The brunette rattled off the evidence on her fingers. "And you were in the delivery room with her! You guys are already married, just date her already!"

Emma sighed and let her head fall back on the armrest. "Can we talk about something else?"

"No!" They both answered at the same time.

"I need to get friends my own age."

"You're lucky you even have us… this crush bullshit, man, you're basically a fifth grader with a driver's license." Ruby cracked her knuckles and sat up. "But seriously, Em. Just rip the Band-Aid off and ask her out. Or just… kiss her out of the blue one night before you go home – pull some crappy romance novel stuff on her, she'll love it."

All Emma did was laugh and rub her eyes.

"You two would be cute." Ashley giggled.

"You know, you guys are probably right, okay?" Emma shrugged. "I feel like… Maybe I'm super obvious, whatever, but that's not doing wonders for making me more confident on asking her out or anything. If she knows, she hasn't done anything or she's avoiding it." She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "And if she doesn't know, I'm not prepared to have an awkward wedge between us, and then not get to see the kids as much or-"

"So she's just going to sit there drooling for the rest of her life." Ruby huffed.

"If the right time rolls around, then I'll… figure something out. But it's-"

Ruby made a noise and gave another eye roll.

"Fuck off."

Ashley frowned in a sad sort of way at Emma and that was the last straw.

She got up and grabbed at her hair right next to her scalp. "You don't get it! I came here, and she was dating Graham. They broke up, but she was pregnant. And now things are okay, but she has a new baby, and Henry's growing up and she's so happy with the way things are, I don't want to mess that up for her by being like, 'Oh hey, you're doing great and let me just decide for you that you need to date' and me! Me of all people, who doesn't even know how to spell the word 'college'? Really?"

"There's always going to be an excuse not to do anything, but-"

Ashley cut her off. "Emma… You're not a negative."

"What?"

"Regina has been so much happier since you've been around. And Henry's doing great, why would you think that you would take away from her life? You've already added so much to it."

Ruby nodded in agreement.

Emma's shoulders slumped and she leaned on the back of the couch looking up at the ceiling. "I've added to it as a friend, guys." She shook her head. "If she hasn't put the pieces together I don't want to force feed her and make her think that's all I'm here for or that I didn't care about Henry or something, and if she has… if she knows then she hasn't shown any interest back, so I'm happy to at least have what I have."

They both looked at her carefully.

"Being a part of their life is good enough."

* * *

 

"Easy, kid." Emma had to jump to catch the ball.

Geeze he was getting big. Henry had officially hit a growth spurt, just short of eye level with both of his mothers. His hair was getting shaggy and his limbs were too stringy for his body. Still, the charm and that glint in his eye were more than enough to make up for the gangly look he had going on.

The pre-teen made a face. "Sorry."

"You're kinda getting an arm, there." The blonde lobbed the ball back to him easily.

"Yeah.. I was thinking of asking mom if I could do baseball this year."

Emma threw a look to Regina with wide eyes, but she was too busy trying to turn over the patties and the hot dog for Emmet on the grill.

Speaking of, he was growing like a weed, too. He'd added 'Mama' (and "Ah-ma" when addressing Emma, or so she insisted was the case) to his very slim vocabulary consisting of mostly 'oh' sounds, but the seven-month-old was already trying to pull himself up on the furniture and get into whatever was left around him.

Regina had given up trying to cook and hold him at the same time about half an hour ago and got out the bungie cord bouncer and hung it from the kitchen door instead.

"Do you think she'd let me?"

Emma nodded and wound up for another throw. "For sure – your grades are going to be good at the end of this year, right?"

"Well, yeah - I mean.." He caught it and shrugged. "You don't think she'll be too worried I'll get hurt?"

"Nah. If you asked about football she might cry, but I think she'll be fine with it."

Henry grinned to himself. "Cool."

"Lunch is ready!" Regina yelled. Her sun hat wobbled as she twisted around to get the paper plates and utensils for the condiments. "Go wash up."

Henry jogged back in the house, patting his brother on the head on his way in.

"Did you hear any of that?"

Regina looked at her friend. "Any of what?"

Emma pointed toward the house. "He said he wanted to try out for baseball this year."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was surprised too."

The brunette plated the food and closed the grill. "I think it starts next week, actually. I'll call the school." She covered her mouth before the closest thing to a giggle Emma had ever heard came out of the Mayor's mouth. "That's exciting!"

Emma smiled so hard it hurt.

Then a moment of déjà vu happened. Her mind sending her back to the first few times she came here and not being able to shake this insane crush and wishing for barbecues in the back yard and a family. Looking around herself she had to admit – she had what she asked for. The only thing that was missing was the option of sweeping Regina up and kissing her shoulders. And as much as she still wanted to do that, she wouldn't give up these little moments – the ones where baby giggles were constantly playing, and Henry was always telling them some kind of fact he read, or seeing Regina's eyes light up at either one.

"I think we're doing a pretty good job, here." Regina sighed, leaning back against the house.

"With the kids?"

She nodded. "And with.. everything?" Her eyes scanned the garden instead of looking at Emma herself. "I still don't know how to thank you for everything. For helping with the kids, of course – but for everything else. Being my friend, and stepping in as Sheriff when I didn't have one and then actually knowing how to do your job." She grinned and turned her eyes to her shoes. "I don't remember a time in my life I've ever been so happy, and… and you play a large role in that, I think."

"You guys make me happy." Emma flashed a smile of her own.

When Regina looked up, Emma was staring right at her. There was an honesty there that they wished they could read in one another. But they were always just a page and a half away from one another, hanging on to some reservation that didn't let them push forward.

Regina bumped Emma with her shoulder, breaking the momentary awkwardness. "We're happy to have you, dear."

Emma laughed and rolled her eyes. "Will you stop calling me that? You sound like your mom."

"Oh!" Regina turned around just short of picking up the baby. "I almost forgot – my mother can't watch the kids this coming weekend, and I-"

"What? Where are you going?"

Regina scooped Emmet up and secured him on her hip. "I have my conference. I'm sure I told you last month for my-"

"Right.. yeah, your law stuff." Emma waved away her forgetfulness.

"I'm simply staying up to date on my degrees. It's the reason I'm qualified for my title, after all." Regina laughed after using her authoritative voice.

"I'll watch them."

Regina passed her a plate. "Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Don't want to forget, I sampled some dialogue from a movie called "Friends With Kids" in one scene up top, where Regina calls Emma over in the middle of the night. There was no other way to word it, and I needed it in there. But, credit where credit is due, because that wasn't mine. Thank you again for reading!))


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished up editing this chapter after Sammichbatch gave it back to me listening to "Barefoot at the Symphony" from Idina Menzel's concert thingy on tv and I'm not okay. It was a bad decision because now I'm a mess.
> 
> Also, I hope you guys like this chapter because it's the one of the chapters I've had the hardest time writing other than the one after this one. I'm stuck and I hope I get through it unscathed.
> 
> Thank you all for the encouraging comments, you don't know how much they've helped and given me a little outside push and I'm so grateful. Would you guys like responses? I haven't thought about it before - I've always thought that if anyone really wanted to talk to me they would message me, which I'm totally open to! Go right ahead, or tell me in the comments if you'd like me to send messages to those of you who comment? I'm not opposed. I'm definitely a talker - as you can see. So be warned.
> 
> Okay.. "No Day But Today" is on and I'm crying. Enjoy my suffering.  
> ((Unrelated - "Rory" is Aurora, Ariel is exactly who you think she is, and they'll probably make a few small appearances here and there as well.))
> 
> Reviews make me smile - you are loved.

Past 1:00 am Sunday morning, Regina felt it.

She looked down in her hands at the small digital camera and the image illuminated there – the same scene that she walked in on a few minutes earlier that warmed her heart.

Henry's old bed sheet spread on top of the chairs from the dining room making a fort in the middle of the living room. Inside, as simply as she could state it, was her family.

Henry was curled on his side with his butt pushed up toward Emma's hip and her free arm was stretched out under his head. Her other arm was firmly wrapped around Emmet, who was peacefully snoozing on her chest, one of his very round cheeks pressing into the spot of drool that he had graced Emma's worn out V-neck with.

Emma herself looked as peaceful as Regina had ever seen her. And it was when Regina didn't have the slightest hesitation in calling the boys their children in her mind, and seeing them wrapped around the blonde so effortlessly. She looked at them, and the thought resonated in her mind, _they love her_ , and she didn't know if it was in the middle of, before, or after that the thought was replaced with _I love her_.

_I love her._

Regina's jaw dropped and her shoulders slumped as she stared away.

Not that she'd never felt it before, because the urge to be near the other woman was always there. There were so many reasons to love her, platonically and.. more than that . But tonight was too quiet and too far removed from any outside influence for Regina to pawn the emotion off on gratitude or fondness. It stared her in the face in the most blatant way.

How many times had they held each others hands and supported the other for any reason at all? They'd chosen each other over everyone else on so many things, and shared children, and cooked dinners and made the other laugh. Two and a half years of memories and smiles ran through her mind as she just sat there, grasping at straws and wondering if this was right – if this was actually happening to her.

God, she cared about Emma so much. There was no one else she trusted with the boys half as much as the blonde. She knew she'd be lying to herself if she discounted all of the times she'd stared as the other woman put her hair up, or the way the muscles in her back moved when she lifted Emmet above her head. There was no denying the pain in her stomach when Ruby touched her back or kissed her cheek, or when Emma would knock the younger brunette with her shoulder and flash a grin. Really anytime they looked at each other like a million secrets swam between them.

Emma shifted in her sleep and Regina looked back as her lips parted the tiniest bit and her cheek pressed against Emmet's forehead.

She was happy.

Everything about Emma said she was absolutely happy, from her actual words to the extra wrinkle next to her eye when she smiled. The way things already were, right then, made her happy. And that was fine.

The camera made its ugly beeping noise that said it was running low on battery and everyone shifted a bit. Henry and Emmet made faces and snuggled closer to Emma, but Emma herself picked her head up, saw Regina, and let herself relax again.

She blinked her eyes slowly. "Hey."

"Hi." Regina whispered back. She hadn't been concerned with the tears welling in her eyes until just then.

"I thought you were coming back tomorrow?"

She shrugged. "I didn't want to spend another night in the hotel."

Emma yawned before she looked up. "You okay?"

Regina nodded.

"You look weird or… sad or something."

"I think how tired I am just hit me." She lied, letting a large huff of air out.

The blonde squinted at her carefully, but didn't push the subject, instead she started to pull her arm from under Henry's head and sit up. "I guess I should-"

"No, stop it." Regina frowned and made a motion for her to lie back down. "It's late. Go back to sleep."

"You sure?"

"Yes – absolutely. We'll clean up in the morning."

"Okay, then."

"Thank you again, for watching them."

"Yeah.." Emma just smiled and eased herself back down, adjusting so Emmet was laying closer to her shoulder, her arm curved so he could nestle in the space there. "I just do it for the free food."

"Goodnight – you profound idiot."

All she got was a snort in return.

Regina kissed both of her boys on the forehead, and felt the buzzing of nerves in her gut when she hovered over Emma for half a second too long. But with just a touch of play, Regina pressed her lips to Emma's forehead as well for a fleeting moment and left the room.

She couldn't fathom the fact that Emma felt that same pain stabbing at her – that their smiles both faded quickly as Regina climbed the stairs.

* * *

**_Two Years Later_ **

The hum of chatter died down for a moment as he neared the plate calmly – with ease like he was stepping into his room.

Henry swung his bat in his wrist, twirling the tiny end almost like a baton, with grace and strategy. He kicked his feet on the side of the mound before taking the bat up and widening his stance. His eye met the pitchers and he nodded at the other boy, daring him to send him a ball he couldn't hit if he didn't want to.

No matter how many times they attended, Regina tensed her shoulders and held her breath as Henry pumped his shoulders briefly, readying himself for the pitch. Emma on the other hand smiled, knowing the expression on her face before she could look, and held Emmet close on her lap, whispering for him to stay quiet for a second so Henry could concentrate.

The pitcher wound up and Henry narrowed his eyes, studying.

The ball was thrown and Henry let it sail right past his bat, shaking his head with confidence.

"Ball!" The umpire yelled.

The fourteen year old flexed his shoulders again and pursed his lips – an action that made him look more like Regina than any other time.

Once more, the boy from the other team pulled back and released the ball, flying in Henry's direction.

This time he swung. The ball hit the bat with a solid pop to the wood and went sailing in an elegant arch.

Immediately everyone from their side erupted in shrieking encouragement.

Emma and Regina stood at the same time, screaming at the top of their lungs. Emmet turned to look from Emma's hip and raised his little arms yelling, "Go Ehwy! Go go go go!" in his high pitched, raspy, little voice.

The older Mills boy wasted no time setting off and rounding first, his arms becoming blurs at his sides in his attempt to use his entire body to propel him.

Second base and his teammates stood in the dugout and cheered as well.

He neared third and the boys on the other team were scrambling to get the ball closer and get him out.

But Henry kept at it – his face twisted in determination as he made the last stretch, sliding to home on one knee and with the other foot out to catch the plate before the ball went soaring past the catcher and hit the fence a little too high instead.

The announcer's voice over the loud speakers was drowned out by all the cheering from parents and teachers alike.

Henry looked up into the bleachers and pointed at his little brother and nodded. Emmet pointed back with both hands, pouting his lips out in a duck like manner and nodding his little head up and down, exaggerating each move with as much effort as he could.

* * *

Just down the road from the baseball field, Storybrooke's new and improved park and play area was buzzing with happy teens and proud parents alike, and the smaller children running around as well – all trying to soak up that last little bit of summer before they were forced to submit to September and the new school year. A fact that Regina only now felt settling in – she had her few weeks of calm after Henry's summer league was finished and before he went back to school.

David waddled along behind his daughter, a beautiful little sandy blonde that looked every bit like her father, aside from Katherine's pointed chin. Alexandra ran after Emmet, pretending she couldn't catch him and making the little boy giggle uncontrollably, as any honorary older sister would. The four and two year olds, despite the difference in age, were nearly inseparable, though the same could be said for their parents. Every so often they would all get together and let the kids play, and give themselves time to be humans instead of just mommies and daddies all the time.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Regina jumped at Emma's voice from behind her. She swung and hit Emma in the shoulder before turning back to the playground and the view of her children before sipping at her lemonade. "You're awful." She grumbled into her glass. "What's your secret?"

"Not mine actually." Emma popped a hip out and pointed over to Henry chatting up Ava by the monkey bars. "Are they…?"

Regina sighed. "It would appear so."

"Oh, shit."

"We'll worry about him later – what is this secret?"

Emma leaned in a bit closer and nodded over to Ashley fluffing out her shirt for the millionth time that day. She lowered her voice for Regina to hear alone. "Guess who's expecting?"

The brunette ignored the chill that ran down her smile and let a smile play on her lips.

"And she didn't show the last couple games because she said she wasn't feeling well, remember?"

Regina nodded. "That's exciting." She said, but gulped trying not to pay attention to the Sheriff's breath hitting her neck.

Emma pulled back, frowning a little. "Are you okay?"

"Of course." She nodded and took Emma's cup. "I'll get you a refill, alright?"

Though she didn't wait for an answer, she simply took the red plastic from her friend and headed over to the picnic table packed with party favors and drinks and snacks for everyone and took her sweet time refilling those glasses, willing the fluttery nausea to subside in her stomach. The same feeling that sprung up after she and Emma put the kids to bed and they stayed up talking in the living room, or when she would look at her as they were swinging Emmet in the air by his hands. It was the feeling to the continued realization that played over and over in her mind;

_I know you._

_I love you._

_You're happy with someone else._

It always made her chest hurt and her head spin a little - or a lot, depending on the day.

"Hi!"

Regina jumped again.

Damn her inner monologue. It never failed to take her eighty leagues under the sea and leave her there to drown.

Her son nearly jumped out of Ruby's arms and into hers.

"Hi, bug." She kissed Emmet's head.

"Wuby… uhm, Wuby," The little boy turned between the two brunettes for a moment.

Ruby grinned and scratched his head. "I asked him to break the ice for me."

"Oh?" Regina furrowed her brows. "What for?"

"Nothing – Em asked me to see if you were okay." She shrugged like it was nothing, making her hair that now only just passed her shoulders sway the smallest bit.

Regina smiled with muscles in her face she was sure had to look more like a grimace. "Oh, did she now?"

"Mommy, I go play now." The little boy pointed to the playground.

She nodded and put him down. "Be careful, please." As soon as he ran off, Emma came up behind him and grabbed him, throwing him over her shoulder and doing a light jog to the playground and her worries were wiped clean.

The younger woman at her side cleared her throat. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you, too."

Regina crossed her arms and feigned a look of indifference. "Alright." She nodded.

Ruby twiddled her fingers, looking at them instead of the professional glare Regina unknowingly slipped into. "I was wondering if you would mind… I mean you've planned Em's birthday for a few years now, and," She shrugged. "I don't know. I kinda want to do something special for her the day of, and I looked and it falls on a weekend this year-"

"That's fine, dear." Regina cut her off, feeling her wind pipe want to close a little bit. Of course she would want to plan Emma's birthday. How long had they been together anyway? She made her lips turn up at the ends anyway. "I'll just plan something a different day. It's alright. You two have fun."

"No!" Ruby shook her head and laughed. "I… Obviously I would need your help. I've been trying to cook something up for a while. Can-"

Regina held her hand up and took a deep breath. "I'll help in whatever way you need."

The waitress grinned, and Regina had one of those obsessive, awful thoughts again – _she's beautiful, and young, and so vibrant, no wonder._ She couldn't help comparing and listing in her mind all of the ways she fell short of Ruby's qualities.

"Awesome! Thank you- can I text you later about it."

"Okay."

* * *

A month and a half later, the Mills and their pet Swan went about the set bedtime routine, only at Grandma's house.

Cora hovered in the background as Emma and Regina took turns between bathing Emmet, and checking Henry's progress on his homework. Even the matriarch was reeling in the fact her grandson had already started high school. It wouldn't be too long until Henry was off to college and starting a career of his own.

Just after seven thirty, Emmet's clumsy steps thumped against the hardwood until the toddler in all his naked glory, grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him from his chair.

"Is ssory time Ehwy." He said matter-of-factly.

Henry laughed at him but and raised his eyebrows. "Story time, already?"

Emma grinned and wiped her hands on the towel Emmet was supposed to use. "It is your turn, kid."

Without Regina's bed, the troop opted for the guest room.

The three of them dressed Emmet and put him in bed. Grandma climbed in one side and Henry on the other with his big book of fairy tales and his two favorite comics from Henry's collection.

But as soon as Emma and Regina kissed the boys heads, Emmet frowned and shook his head, taking a comic from Henry and pushing it toward the blonde. "Ahmma wead it."

"No, baby. Grandma can read to you just for tonight." Regina nodded. "It's Emma's birthday, we're going out for dinner."

Emma grinned and leaned over Henry, pressing large, obnoxious kisses into Emmet's fat little cheeks. "I'll read tomorrow night, bug. Promise."

"Mommy and Ahmma wead… da dwag-ins. Ahmma for da … uhm… mommy does the queen?"

Cora blinked quickly and looked at her daughter. "What on earth is he saying?"

Regina folded her arms and grinned at his arms still around Emma's neck. "He wants Emma and I to do the voices in his book."

"Oh." The older woman nodded. She tried to tickle his side to get him off of the sheriff but he had her in his tiny vice grip. "Grandma and Henry can do the voices."

"No." Emmet said with a sigh.

Emma kissed him one more time with a squeeze and stood up straight. "You guys be good, okay?"

Henry shrugged with a sly grin. "Eh?"

"He gets an hour of alone time, then lights out." She said to her mother firmly. "Take his phone from him, too. He'll try to hide it, but if you have any problems, just call."

"Don't worry, dear." Cora smiled. "Go enjoy your night off."

They both thanked Regina's mother before waving and blowing a few more kisses, and finally leaving for the restaurant.

* * *

Emma didn't ask any questions about her first birthday in Storybrooke that wasn't celebrated with a party – as soon as Regina asked if she'd rather have dinner alone, Emma jumped at the opportunity. And Regina didn't disappoint. The tailored black dress that just hit her knee that Regina picked to wear was a knew one for sure, because she never wore a sweetheart neckline until that night, and curled her hair way differently from any normal day. Emma opted for her jeans and a nicer shirt, and even took a chance on her bright blue heels that had seen better days, but it was her birthday. She could wear whatever she wanted.

It wasn't a date. Emma knew that and reminded herself, before, during, and on the ride home countless times. It didn't stop her from grinning like a child that she got to have Regina all to herself for a little while.

It had been a good while since the blonde had entertained the idea of actually being with the mayor. The feelings didn't die, and the unconditional support she had for the other woman just kept growing every moment she saw her talk to her kids, or cook dinner, or lie to herself and everyone else when she got a cold –because hell would freeze over if Regina Mills ever took a sick day if it wasn't because one of the boys was sick. Every other day she would fall a little more for every reason.

But as they pulled up to the mansion, Emma glanced over and nodded with the mantra she'd created for herself; _at least they want me._ The boys wanted her, Regina wanted her, and her friends wanted her. She was wanted, and that's so much more than she could have hoped for most of her life.

"Are you sure you don't want to do anything else for your birthday?" Regina turned in her seat.

Emma just nodded. "Yeah. You know I don't need much. It was nice just to hang out, anyway."

"Would you hate me if I said I got you something, then?"

Emma groaned and let her head fall back, though she smiled widely the whole time.

"It's nothing! Just.." Her shoulders rose and fell as she pulled a small box out of her purse. "You deserve something special."

Her face dropped as she looked at the bright red wrapping paper.

"Henry helped me."

"Regina…"

She shook her head and held it out further. "Open it."

Emma sighed loudly and frowned, but took the box anyway. Her finger slipped under the wrapping paper, only tearing it enough to shimmy the box out, and she couldn't help but hesitate before opening it - holding her breath, she finally lifted the lid off and her jaw dropped.

"Oh my god."

Regina smiled.

"It's just like yours!" Emma grinned.

"Mm-hhm." She nodded.

"How-"

"I talked to Peggy's jewelry store in the strip mall downtown… she said she could recreate mine, and we changed the colors for you."

The bracelet sparkled even in the dome lights in the SUV. Regina took the bracelet and held it out for Emma's wrist, and she could see the differences so carefully chosen for her – where Regina's bracelet was gold with little rubies dotted through the design, Emma's was silver, and tiny yellow stones shined at her brilliantly.

Emma nodded. "This is beautiful."

Regina didn't look her in the eye – instead just staring at the new jewelry. "I'm glad you like it."

"I do."

She looked up tentatively.

"A lot." Emma put her hand over Regina's. "Thank you."

It looked a lot like a grimace instead of a smile, but Regina shook it off with a shiver before whispering a "You're welcome," and opening her door. She cleared her throat. "Do you want to come watch the latest episode of CSI: Miami with me?"

Emma laughed. "Absolutely fucking not."

"No?"

"How can you watch that crap?"

Regina hummed a small laugh. "I happen to like that crap, thank you very much." She slipped her key in the door and unlocked it a bit more roughly that she normally did.

"Calm down – it was just a joke!" She laughed, closing the door behind them.

The lights in the hallway turned on and Emma almost fell right on her ass as the women screamed at her from all angles.

"Happy birthday!"

Everyone laughed at the bright hue of red Emma's face turned.

Ashley held her growing belly as she cackled. Ruby had to keep her balance on Katherine's shoulder. The new girls stood behind them a bit closer to the kitchen. Rory, Katherine's new assistant as of having her daughter, jumped from foot to foot giggling, and a very uncomfortable Ariel stood oddly still with a huge smile, looking very suspiciously like she was trying her hardest not to break anything. The red head had only worked two weeks at the diner and had managed to go through half of Granny's ' _fine china_ ' as she called it.

"Fuck guys.." Emma looked at all of them, grabbing at her chest. "What are you doing here?"

Ruby ran up and hugged her friend. "We're going out!"

"What?"

Regina had one of her plastic looking smiles on when Emma looked over at her. "Ruby set it all up to surprise you." She said quietly.

"Yeah! You haven't been out in forever, so we can all go dance and get crazy and you can let loose for a night." Ruby hip bumped her awkwardly before gesturing to Ashley. "Thanks to preggers, we even have a built-in DD so you can get as trashed as you want."

Ashley just rolled her eyes.

"Okay, wait… no. If it's my birthday, I'm making rule number one that no one gets trashed, please. Especially not me."

Katherine raised her hand. "Excuse me, this is the first night away from my baby, you bet your ass I'm drinking."

Before she knew it, they were all piled in the car and buckled in, heading to god only knew where.

* * *

About twenty five minutes North, they all stopped at a night club Regina had never heard of that had a list of all things to get in the door. Apparently Ruby made a special connection or reservation, and thank god, because the beginning of October was no time for half naked women to be standing out in the cold waiting to get into a night club, though according to the line outside, the weather was nothing to stop twenty-somethings from going out on a weekend.

Without realizing, she'd been stuck playing mommy. Regina checked everyone's coat and bag, keeping their wallets in her purse and watching from a table in the corner as they danced. Even Ashley wiggled with the rest of them. But that's not where her attention was at all.

Emma's shirt came off two songs in, and she was moving more smoothly than liquid on the dance floor in her tank top and jeans.

She'd been pulled out with them a few times for a song or so, but as soon as her eyes hit the blonde again her heart started beating in her throat and along with all sorts of guilty feelings.

It wasn't until she was back at the table, watching Emma roll her body slowly against the back of Ruby's, the lights hitting them as the younger woman had her arms in the air and a huge grin on her face that she really started feeling sorry for herself. Which she had no right to do. It was Emma's birthday, and she was having fun with her friends and her… girlfriend? There was no doubt in her mind that's what Ruby was, though they'd never said so out loud.

Ruby turned around and their fingers laced together, hoisting their hands in the air again and moving to the rhythm again. Emma pulled a particularly dorky move, starting to swing dance them around to the noisy electronic music to which they both laughed, then going about dancing – together or with everyone else.

It was Emma's birthday.

She refused to make this day about herself and her ridiculous emotions.

Emma's day.

"Excuse me." She flagged down one of the many girls walking around in next to nothing with long tube shot glasses on a tray.

Regina downed three in a row, and kept going until her vision was too blurry to see the dance floor from where she was sitting.

* * *

"I'm fine!" Regina laughed at herself.

Sober Regina would have done no such thing. Then again.. sober Regina probably wouldn't have fallen out of the car in the first place, or climbed over two other people to do so.

"She doesn't look fine." Ariel squeaked from the back.

Emma scrambled out of the car and helped Regina up. "Sure, nobody help – let's all just stare." She glared back at everyone.

Regina swayed as Emma hoisted her off the ground, grabbing on to a shoulder. "SSSsop it. I'm gunna bed." But her legs bent awkwardly as she tried to take a few steps toward her door on her own.

The sheriff caught her quickly before she could step into one of the hedges lining the fence and draped one of Regina's arms around her shoulders. "I'm not leaving her, guys. She won't make it up the stairs."

"Hey!"

"You're kinda drunk too, though, Em-"

Regina frowned and looked at the blonde. "Yeah, EEmmmmmm." She could taste the bile in the back of her throat at the nickname.

Emma shrugged. "But I can walk. It's okay – I'll call you tomorrow."

"Nono!" Regina shook her head. "Itss your birthday, Emma. Gu-home. Relax."

"Quit- I'll take the guest room, Regina. I'll just make sure you're okay before I get there." She shrugged. "If you feel too bad about it, you can make me an omelet in the morning."

All she could think was how she would make Emma breakfast every morning if she wanted.

But again – sober Regina wouldn't have even let herself have those kinds of thoughts all the way through. She would throw the boys in there and make it Christmas morning for an excuse before the vivid loneliness could bite at her chest again.

Vague, echoing goodbyes happened around her and she managed to give something like a wave in return. Her eyes were so heavy, she didn't notice if they were in the house until Emma had to coach her into climbing her own stairs. Bust it would just be another story, though – another piece of history they would have strung between them to tell Henry about when he was older. How his mother kept his other mother away from her girlfriend on her birthday.

Well, that was confusing.

"Hey, where are your pjs?"

Regina grunted as Emma dumped her on the bed. "I'll get 'em."

Emma just laughed as Regina finally kicked off her heels and shuffled over to her dresser. "I'm just putting pans on that's it."

"Pans?"

"PANTS." Regina groaned. "Sleep… trousers. Idiot."

"Yeah, I'm the idiot and you just called sweat pants, ' _sleep trousers._ ' Okay."

There was no ceremony in Regina thrusting her feet through the legs as quickly as she could – the motion almost reflex, same as throwing her dress on the end table to fold later and grabbing the shirt she didn't think she needed when she started.

The rest was routine playing in her mind that she followed – brushing her teeth, wiping her makeup off with a wet wipe and getting lotion for her face and her knuckles. The only difference was how her hands didn't quite follow orders as they usually would. And by the time she made it back to her bed, she felt the tiniest bit better – her vision not quite as blurry.

Emma pointed to the dresser. "Could I borrow a pair?"

She just nodded before Emma took a cotton pair of sweats instead of the ones made out of nicer material and headed into the bathroom quietly.

Regina just kept rubbing the lotion into her hands, hating herself for drinking so much, and in turn for dragging Emma with her unnecessarily. She could have been back at her apartment with Ruby. Probably snuggled up and watching some stupid old romantic comedy they seemed so fond of. She shut her eyes to the thought, willing it away, but it was only replaced by an even less welcome one. She could see Ruby's hands laying on Emma's bare stomach, kissing her neck as a smile played on Emma's lips, holding to the waitresses shoulders.

Her stomach tightened and throat started to close because she knew what would happen next.

Ruby's features would slowly ebb away, being replaced by her own. She'd tug Emma's shirt over her head quickly and skip down to place her lips in the little space in Emma's clavicle that would make her sigh and tilt her head back more.

"Most people lay down to sleep."

Regina opened her eyes wide and shook the images away.

Emma pulled Regina to stand next to her as she un-made the bed enough for the older woman to slip inside.

But Regina just sat down again, folding her arms across her chest. "You know, most people don't… also take care of others on their birthday."

"I think I like plastered Regina – she makes me sound smart."

Emma dodged a smack to the shoulder easily and laughed.

"Quit making fun of me." Regina pointed.

"Quit being so easy to make fun of!"

Regina frowned and waited for Emma to stop laughing. "Really… I'm sorry for keeping you away tonight. I'm sure you would have liked to spend time with Ruby." She gulped. "But thank you for making sure I was alright."

"Ruby?" Emma shrugged. "She's probably sick of me for the night anyway."

"No.. she planned tonight pretty meticll-is-ly." She shook her head, trying to speak slower. "Met-tic-u-lous-ly… meticulously." She nodded. "Gracious, this is… painful. I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be." Emma's smile softened and she sat next to Regina heavily before she shrugged. "It's kinda cute."

Her heart sank in her shoes. Regina looked at Emma with a frown. "Don't say that." She whispered.

All of the sudden, how alone they were in the house settled over them. The silence from down the hall and in that very room permeated the air and it was far quieter. "What?"

Regina shook her head in dismissal of the question altogether.

"You don't think so?"

"Stop it." She rolled her eyes.

"Regina, look at me."

She did. As though she didn't have any control, Regina turned with her eyebrows furrowed so completely at the other woman for making her feel all of the things she did.

And all Emma did was stare back like she couldn't believe what was right in front of her – like she couldn't be more confused if Regina grew three more heads that very moment.

"What are you staring at?" She asked impatiently.

Emma smiled sadly and shook her head. "You. Because it's crazy to me that you're this beautiful and it's like you can't see it."

The water that rose in her eyes wouldn't have been there if she could have helped it, but she didn't know how to take what Emma said and guard herself from the feelings it shook out within her. The same ones she kept stamping down by reminding herself the kids were upstairs or that Emma had to go to work in an hour, or that she couldn't want her, after all these years and seeing her in all the ways she had.

As soon as the tears registered for Emma, she grabbed Regina's hand. "Regina-"

And Regina pulled it away and put both of her hands on Emma's face and kissed her.

The move was too quick for her to react, and Regina knew that. She knew she shouldn't, and she knew she would hate herself for it later, but she needed to do it. If it didn't happen while she was half drunk and stupid with emotions, it never would.

But then Emma kissed her back. At first she thought her eyes were closed too tight and she was still dizzy with alcohol or nerves, but no – it was Emma's hands on her waist, pulling her closer. It was Emma's lips connecting in more slow, shaky lip locks before she pushed Regina back on the bed.

A whole different set of sensations set in, then.

Her lips found more purchase on Emma's and her lungs were on fire already. Her whole body caught that white hot, electrical buzz that popped and snapped at every single synapse that was being provoked and fired away.

She tried to pull away just before their heads hit the pillows but Emma shook her head without leaving the kiss – their series of kisses that melded into each other as they went. Regina rolled on top inadvertently, trying to press herself as close to her as she could. Emma only hummed in approval and licked Regina's lip, sliding her hands under her shirt and tracing her spine with her fingertips. Regina gasped and then Emma's tongue was in her mouth.

Regina's knees came up to steady herself, one on either side of Emma's waist as she held to the younger woman's biceps. Their kisses slowed again and Regina took her time nibbling and biting as she tugged Emma's bottom lip away.

It wasn't a moment later Emma flipped them again, holding tight to Regina's thighs and crushing her mouth on the other woman's. And Regina's hands were reaching for all of the mundane places she never dared to put them before, in the blonde hair that shined and never looked entirely brushed at the same time, and kneading her strong shoulders, down the curves of her back, and Emma is laying herself right on top of her.

Emma's lips left hers for just a moment and kissed at her pulse point and Regina promised herself she wouldn't let herself start grinding her hips toward Emma's no matter how much she wants to. But a breathy moan tears itself from her throat – all the pressure is there. It was building and Emma's pressed against her now and it's just like a fantasy, only better. Emma's tongue dragged across her throat and she pulls her back up to her lips by her hair just to keep from coming undone. Her arms hug Emma so fiercely because it's not entirely the carnal nature in her that wants this, it's hoping and wishing that Emma knew how much she cared about her at the same time. It was four years built into one mistake that she won't ever regret.

Regina's legs straightened out a bit more and Emma's arms circle around her middle before they settle on their sides.

Their lips learned to play against the others gently, navigating their noses to tap and bump sweetly between soft pecks and longer locks. Regina's thumbs swept over Emma's cheek bones and her jaw and her shoulders, and cherished the spot Emma claimed on her lower back as her nails traced soft circles there.

It went on for what felt like hours or weeks before Regina couldn't respond anymore, her phantom kisses just whispers on Emma's lips before her breathing evened out. Emma just kissed her forehead before letting her eyes fall shut too, still wrapped in each others arms and grabbing at the last of an admission neither actually made.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there.
> 
> I'm sorry, I apologize, I don't know how in the world I would ever make it up to any of you, but I promise I feel so bad about dropping off the face of the earth. I won't site any excuses, because during busy times I've still updated, and I haven't now. No matter how busy I can probably try harder.
> 
> But here is an update. I'm still worried it won't be good enough for you all but I don't want to make you wait any longer.
> 
> Another HUGE thanks to Sammichbatch, because she urged me not to worry so much and helped me actually put this up when I have. That and she's probably one of the biggest role models I have in my life - seriously if you had a chance to know her, she's a badass and super sweet, and she's going to do great things. So proud of her, and proud to know her.
> 
> So - here is a thank you to anyone who is still reading this.  
> All of you are loved. You have love and you are worthy of love.  
> Reviews make me smile.  
> Make yourself smile today. I hope you feel beautiful.

With normalcy came routine. An inevitable part of life sure, but one Emma found she didn't resent the idea of anymore, perhaps because in practice she found her life was pretty beautiful.

Her routine on Saturday mornings usually called for waking up an hour or so late and making herself coffee, even though she'd pick one up from the diner with Regina and the boys later on anyway. After the diner they'd walk to the park – now that autumn was in full bloom, they'd probably just sit in the diner or drive straight home. Lunch would end with laughs and Emmet doing something silly. Emma would call the station and ask if Sean needed any help, and he wouldn't. Then the night would go on without a hitch. Sometimes Ashley and Alex would come over for dinner and Sean would meet everyone when he finished his shift, and/or Ruby if she didn't have anything to do.

Deviating from this unofficially set outline didn't happen often, but as the branches knocked against the house in the wind outside, and Emma felt Regina's weight on her right, she knew this wouldn't be the typical Saturday.

The night before filtered through her mind all at once; dancing and drinking, and pretending to be a carefree teenager again, and Regina downing shot after shot alone at the table no matter how hard they tried to include her. She remembered jumping out of the van and peeling her off the pavement and needing to get Regina in bed so her mind could be at ease when she fell asleep.

Regina kissed her.

Emma opened her eyes, and sure enough, the Mayor was sleeping peacefully against her shoulder, one arm wrapped around so her hand was still grabbing the back of her neck.

The blonde had to shake herself to grasp what had happened. She was sure Regina kissed her first, but she couldn't remember for the life of her falling asleep. Everything was a haze of the other woman's lips and trying to remember every curve she felt, every tiny divot or a twitch as her hand swept over a nerve.

And there they were. Regina still had a leg draped over her under the blanket. Emma finally realized herself in this whole wonderful mess as well, one arm under the brunette's head and the other comfortably nestled in the small of her back. And she didn't dare move yet. Regina's mouth hung open the same way it had when Emma saw her sleeping for the first time – just after she found out she was pregnant and she was exhausted. She wasn't even angry when Emma told her she ruined dinner and they got pizza instead. She'd seen Regina sleeping countless times, but this was different. This flutter of joy and accomplishment wasn't there before, and hope.

There hadn't ever been a reason for Emma to hope anything would ever come of her feelings, and now for a while she didn't care. Her life would go on anyway, but Holy God was it better to hold her, too.

Her head fell back on the pillow and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

It happened. It was happening.

Emma smiled to herself and adjusted herself a little closer, pressing her lips to Regina's hair and sighing again. This wouldn't be hard to get used to at all.

But when she moved, Regina stiffened and stretched her legs out straight. It seemed like her whole face went in a frown before she settled back in again… and then, only for a moment.

Her eyes opened slowly, squinting at her surroundings and at Emma in particular.

That's when she pulled away. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and Emma's heart stopped.

Clarity washed over her face in an instant, and so did fear and regret all at once. She snapped her hand away from Emma's neck before she looked back and shook her head

And the blonde didn't waste any time trying to make a run for it, throwing off the covers and looking around for her keys with a knot already forming in her throat.

Regina just stayed in bed, her hair a mess, and her knees pulled up to her chest. "Emma, I'm so sorry."

"Don't."

"Emma, please-"

"What?" The tears were already swimming in her eyes. "What are you _sorry_ for?"

Her mouth hung open for a few seconds too long.

"Say something."

"I know I'm wrong for this and I'm so sorry… I didn't-"

Emma didn't let her finish. She just shook her head and ran away.

* * *

Ruby was on her second layer of mascara when Emma burst in the door, already in tears and bee-lining for her.

"Jesus, Em."

Emma just shook her head and laid down on the couch, resting her head in Ruby's lap and curling herself into as small of a space as she could have.

She put her makeup down and started to rub her friends back in hard, determined strokes. "What happened?"

"She kissed me." Emma sobbed into her hands.

Four years of knowing this woman, and Ruby hadn't ever seen her cry like this. A few tears now and then were as far as she let herself go. This was a world and a half away from the Emma that she knew.

Emma shook her head and wailed some more.

"Regina?"

"Yeah."

"Regina just kissed you?"

Emma nodded again and took her hands away, turning her head to look up at the younger woman. "She kissed me last night, and we stayed together… and this morning she woke up and she didn't want me. She just looked at me and started shaking her head."

"Oh, Ems." Ruby hugged her hard, letting her cry until she couldn't anymore. It was a good ten minutes later before she could actually take a breath, and Ruby let go carefully and ran her fingers through her hair. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to take an asprin." Her lip curled under again and Ruby saw the flex in her stomach of another sobbing fit, but she held it back. "I don't think I've ever felt so shitty. Or lonely. I woke up and she was still asleep.. and I got to kiss her head and imagine us doing that every morning, and getting to see her like that and then she woke up and it's not going to happen. I didn't think it would but now I know and it sucks way more than I thought it would."

"You always got me." She smiled gently. "And you can count on the fact I won't ever try to kiss your ugly mug."

Emma laughed, but it turned into a frown.

They sat there for a long minute before Emma sat up suddenly. "Do you want to move in?"

Ruby tilted her head. "To your apartment?"

"Yeah, I mean you're over all the time anyway an-" Her voice caught in her throat.

She put her hand over Emma's and squeezed.

"Ruby, I want to run." She nodded, more tears started going down her face. "I want to high tail it as far as my car will take me but I know I can't now. I can't lose the boys. I love them so much. And I love you, and Granny, I can't." She wiped her face on her sleeves and tried to breath for a minute. "I just really don't want to be alone right now."

She just nodded and hugged her again.

"Do you-?"

"Yeah." She laughed. "I'll move in – for sure."

"Okay." Emma nodded and pulled away again, trying to catch her breath.

Ruby had never seen her look so young – red faced and terrified, and her hair pushed behind her ears carelessly.

"Hey." She pushed her friends leg with her fist.

"What?"

The brunette shrugged and sat back a little. "It might not make you feel any better, but I have to tell you first… because I met someone."

"What?" Emma crossed her legs, the distraction seemingly working. "Who? What's his name?"

"Lance? The one who moved here a couple months ago. He works at the body shop and my car needs a new something or other according to Sean." She nodded. "He asked me out this weekend, but I said no because of your birthday. But I'm going back this week to talk to him."

"That's so great!" She smiled and gulped down a new batch of tears. "I bet he's nice."

She nodded. "He seems like it."

"Why don't you go right now?"

"Well-"

Emma shook her head. "Go. Ask him what time he gets off work, and if you can take him out for a drink."

Ruby laughed. "Nah." She shrugged and got up from the couch. "Tonight, you can help me pack and we can get doughnuts and… Flashdance?"

She took a very deep breath, and nodded. "Okay."

* * *

One full calendar week later, Emma hadn't shown her face in the mansion once. Or in Regina's presence at all other than to drop the boys off after school and daycare before rushing away with a _'see ya'_ or nothing. She called Henry every night, and talked to Emmet for a moment, but avoided the Mayor altogether. And Emmet all but threw the biggest temper tantrum he could possibly have in protest of her absence, even with Henry and Regina agreeing to play all the voices in his book. She'd been a part of dinner and bed time since before he was born, after all.

The first contact they had was the night before, and honestly it was a last ditch effort to corner Emma into speaking to her.

_-Could you watch the boys overnight tomorrow?-_

Over an hour later she texted back.

_-Sure.-_

_-Your house or mine?-_

Almost forty minutes later:

_-Mine.-_

_-Thank you. Five work for you?-_

Another full hour passed.

_-Okay.-_

She didn't have a clue what she'd say, because what was there to say? She couldn't admit her feelings and just walk away and leave Emma to deal with the mess that follows that admission. She didn't want to give her some ultimatum because she deserved more than that. She deserved to be with whoever made her happy and if it wasn't Regina, then she'd deal with that. But maybe if she could just see her face, and tell her she missed her, and that the kids missed her and she wanted the other woman in her life no matter the terms – even if it meant adding Ruby into their little unit, then she'd take it, because not having her there hurt more than wanting and holding back.

Lord, if she were to compare the feelings at all.

"Almost ready?"

Henry turned his head away from his phone long enough to nod at his mother.

"Are you packed, Henry?"

"Yeah, mom."

She nodded. "Alright. Please be ready in fifteen minutes, alright?"

"Hey!"

Regina backpedaled in time to see him throw his phone on his bed. "What, honey?"

He leaned against the door frame and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking far too much like his blonde mother for comfort. "Are you and mom okay?"

"Henry…" She scratched the side of her mouth before folding her arms over her chest. "I don't know how to answer that."

"What happened?"

She cupped his cheek gently. "You're only old enough for so much honesty, Henry."

"Okay, then are you guys going to work out whatever's happening, then?"

"I hope so." She nodded. "But we always love you, and that's all you ever need to worry about."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."

* * *

"Hey,"

Regina barely nodded before Emmet jumped out of her arms and into Emma's without warning other than a large squeal.

"Hi, bug! Do you have new toys?"

Emmet nodded and pushed them into Emma's free hand. "I got jocker anna hawee quinn."

"Joker and Harley Quinn?"

"Yeah." He hugged her around the neck fiercely and Regina couldn't help but grin at the two of them.

She hugged her oldest and sent him in with a quiet 'be good' as he went. Emma had only just put Emmet down when she had the courage to take a step forward and keep her from shutting the door.

"Emma, could we-"

"Hi, Wuby!"

Over Emma's shoulder, sure enough, was the younger woman picking up her son and dropping a box to do so.

"What's with all the boxes?" Henry asked.

Emma turned a little bit toward him. "Ruby's moving in, kid."

"Oh, cool."

All she could do was stare at them – her family without her. She felt wrong for thinking it, but she didn't know how else to phrase it.

"What time are you coming to get them tomorrow?" Emma asked, looking right through the other woman.

But Regina's heart was beating so hard in her throat she could barely hear her. She could have guessed what happened would probably make or break her relationship with the waitress, and moving in together was a big step.

Ruby glanced at her with daggers, and Regina gulped down the tingling heartbreak that was choking her.

"I'll text you." Her throat closed around her words so they barely came out as a whisper before she turned and bolted down the stairs.

She didn't have any plans. Taking the boys was just a ploy to talk to her and now she couldn't do it.

Regina just barely made it back inside her house before she dropped to the floor and tried to breathe through her tears.

* * *

"What was that?" Henry stepped forward as soon as Emma closed the door and thumped her shoulder against it with a sigh.

Emma shook her head. "I don't know."

"Did you guys have a fight?"

"No."

Henry crossed his arms and leaned against the couch like he was the adult questioning why Emma came home so late. "Okay, so then why aren't you two talking?"

Ruby picked Emmet up and put him next to the sink to help her "wash dishes" but mostly just splash Tupperwear around with the water running so he couldn't hear what was going on.

"Kid, you're too smart for your own good. And someday I'll probably tell you everything, but today it's really not your business."

"My-" Henry furrowed his brow as his head swiveled back on his neck. "Are you joking? Emma, you've come over every day for years, and we've gotten used to it. So do you want to know what's not my business? Emmet is-"

Emma pointed her finger at him. "Don't yell at me, Henry."

"Shut up! Emmet is losing his mind, my mom is sad all the time and you think it's not my business? The fact that suddenly you're too busy with work to come say 'hi' to us, and I saw you one time all week by accident and it makes me feel like you don't even care."

"I do care."

"Then act like it! We're a family and you don't just get to count yourself out because you guys are angry at each other! You don't have to tell me everything, I know I'm still a kid, and I don't need to know everything, but I'm still effected by shit! I'm-"

"Henry!" Emma yelled back.

Emmet started crying and Ruby didn't waste a second in scooping him up and taking him to Emma's bedroom with his toys.

"You swear all the time!"

"I'm an adult!"

"Great, well you can start making rules for me when you actually show your face where I live." Henry shook his head and picked up his back pack.

The blonde blocked his way to the door. "You're not going anywhere."

"I'm going to go make sure my mom is okay."

"She has stuff to do, you-"

"No she doesn't!"

Emma tilted her head.

"You're so dumb." He set his jaw and threw his backpack back on the couch. "She just wanted us to see you… and probably try to talk to you too."

Her shoulders dropped and Henry took his phone out and sat by the window.

"She didn't have plans?"

He looked at her and put his head forward like he was saying "duh."

As fast as her mind could work through it, she grabbed her keys and put shoes on. "Can you tell Ruby I'll be back later?"

Henry just nodded and looked back down at his phone.

* * *

She'd finally made it to the bottom step of the staircase when the banging on the door started.

If Regina was honest with herself, she knew she wanted it to be Emma as much as she was afraid of it actually being her on the other side of the door. But she wiped the tears from her face and answered anyway, trying to steel her bottom lip when her suspicion was true.

And it wasn't a second later that she was being hugged harder than she'd felt in years, and the water in her eyes started bubbling up and spilling over again.

She held her back and didn't ask any questions, digging her finger tips into Emma's jacket.

They stayed that way for a while, and by the time Regina got ahold of herself Emma stepped back down on the porch with a frown that said she didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry."

Emma shook her head. "Regina, I don't want to hear that."

She just looked at her and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I don't want you to be sorry. And I know that makes me a shitty person." She nodded and blinked away her own tears. "And I'm a shitty person for disappearing on you like that. I should have talked to you. I know that I just…. Henry blew up on me just now because I haven't been around and I should have been. And _I'm_ sorry."

Regina nodded and accepted the sickness she felt as Emma looked at her feet the way she did when she was getting ready to say something she didn't want to.

"I just can't be close to you right now." Her shoulders lifted and fell, trying to make smaller of the situation.

A few beats of silence passed. "I understand."

"We both fucked up, ya know… And I'm embarrassed and hurt, and I think I'm closer to you than I am to anybody. So," Emma finally choked on the lump in her throat and looked up at the other woman painfully. "Let's just give this a little time to heal, and we can come back better, okay? For the kids? And because I think you're the best friend I've ever had. And I don't want to lose that."

Regina nodded again and stepped back to hold the inside handle of the door. "Okay."

"Okay." Emma slipped her hands in her pockets. "Can I drop the kids off tomorrow in time for dinner?"

"Of course."

The blonde gave a pained smile, and then a short wave and turned to go.

* * *

The same general schedule worked out for the next couple weeks;

Regina picked the boys up from school and daycare respectively and made dinner. Emma would come just in time to pick up her leftovers and read to Emmet and talk to Henry about his day before she'd leave, all the while deliberately not meeting Regina's eyes for any reason. When the weekend came, Regina dropped Henry and Emmet off at Emma's apartment and got them back the following evening.

Aside from a few text messages about coordinating specific times and small acknowledgements they didn't speak. They didn't tell anyone else how awful they felt either, cooped up in their homes, thinking about the other and missing them like there was no tomorrow.

Regina dropped the kids off that morning and didn't want to be alone for once. Not that she wanted to directly interact with anyone, but she couldn't spend another Saturday in her study pretending to read or not feel sorry for herself.

She walked down Main Street and grabbed a paper on her way into the diner and sat in the booth in the corner that didn't fit her little troop, but was just small enough to hide in plain sight.

"Usual?"

Regina jumped and looked up at Ruby with wide eyes. Her tone was flat, but not overtly rude.

"Uhm… I-I didn't think you… worked today." She tried to sit up straight but the guilt sat heavily on her shoulders.

Ruby stared down at her with empty eyes. "I don't. Ariel called out last minute."

"Right."

"So what can I get for you?"

"The-da.. what I usually…" Regina cleared her throat and nodded. "The usual."

"Perfect."

Ruby left the menu on the table and didn't bother with any of her usual niceties.

She hadn't bothered thinking how Ruby would feel in all of this, and judging by the way she'd been looking at her ever since Emma's birthday she wasn't happy. If it was Regina, she would probably hate anyone who she perceived might be taking her girlfriend away from her.

With a large breath and a quick peek around the diner, making sure there wasn't anyone who might pay attention, Regina stood right in front of Ruby on the other side of the breakfast bar.

She just turned around and raised her eyebrows.

"I think I owe you an apology."

Ruby crossed her arms. "Me?"

"I… you play a part in all of this nonsense, and I know I'm the one in the wrong-"

"Obviously."

Her frame shrunk just a little with the jab. "I just want to tell you myself that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"Well, you did. And I can't tell you I really accept any of that because it's not me you need to apologize to."

Regina frowned. "But… you're a part of this too, and it was wrong of me not to consider that."

"A part..? What are you talking about?"

She didn't want to say it out loud, but she gulped down her pride anyway. "I wasn't thinking about your feelings, I was just too wrapped up in… the moment, I suppose. I know if I were in your position I couldn't forgive me for what I did. I wasn't trying to take her, it was just my emotions getting the better of me-"

"Take her? You m-" Ruby's mouth dropped open. "Do you think me and Em are dating?"

"Aren't you?"

She laughed and leaned on the counter. "Oh my god, no! What the fuck! Why did you think that?"

"What?"

"Is that why you freaked out?"

"You two- you've never been together?"

"I mean I kissed her one time and she almost hit me! I love her to death, but I'm not into her like that. I don't like women like that, period." She grinned and waved Regina toward the end of the counter and sat back down at the booth with her. "Did you think we were a couple?"

Regina's hands were on either side of her head like she was trying to keep it from splitting in two. "I thought you were together for years. You're just so close."

"Yeah, because I'm the first person she opened up to about being head over heels for you. And then we just clicked, we're not having sex or anything." She grabbed Regina's hands and squeezed them. "She is super in love with you, do you… you didn't see that?"

"No, I don't know… I thought, she's always been so good to us, I didn't think it was anything more." She shook her head and felt her throat start to close up. "And then all of the sudden I wanted it to be, but.." Her whole face dropped and she realized what was happening. "You two aren't together."

"I just-"

"Emma- is Emma single?"

Ruby nodded, still smiling like a fool.

She got up, leaving everything on the table and headed for the door.

"Regina!"

"What?"

Ruby handed her purse and keys over and pointed to the door. "Go get her."

Without thinking, she hugged the younger woman and bolted out the door.

* * *

Emmet passed Emma another action figure and continued to make growling noises for Hulk when the beating on the door started.

She turned to Henry and motioned for him to keep his little brother busy.

And as soon as she opened the door, the churning feeling in her gut came back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Regina shut the door, putting herself between Emma and her apartment and pulled her by the collar of her pajama shirt so she could kiss her harder than she had the chance to a few weeks prior.

But it only lasted a few seconds before Emma pulled away and shook her head. "I can't… Regina. I don't care if you're lonely or confused, you can't do this to me again."

"I'm not- I'm so sorry." She laughed and ran her hands through her hair trying to calm herself. "I'm _not_ sorry for kissing you, or wanting you. I wasn't sorry for that."

"What?"

"I was sorry because I didn't want to come between you and Ruby, because I knew you cared about her and I felt awful for potentially ruining your relationship but-"

"Ruby and I aren't in a relationship."

Regina grinned again. "I know that now."

Emma's mouth dropped. "You-"

She cut her off with another searing kiss, wrapping her arms around Emma's shoulders and inhaling when she felt her strong arms hug her closer and kiss back, and kiss again and again, much too invasive in the stairwell of an apartment building, but neither of them could care for a few long minutes of a much needed, tension releasing, satisfying make out session.

Neither pulled away at all. When the kissing came to an end, they still just held on to each other, wondering what the other was thinking.

Emma wiped a few stray tears away, and Regina took her turn to hold around Emma's middle, not ready to let go just yet.

"What do we do now?" Emma smiled to herself.

Regina bumped her head against Emma's lightly. "I would start with wiping the lipstick off your face."

She shook her head. "I mean-"

"I know." Another kiss and a half and Regina took a step away, letting her lips just barely turn up at the ends. "I think for now… I'll go home, and you spend time with Emmet and Henry, and we can talk after dinner tomorrow."

"That sounds good."

"Good." Regina whispered as she leaned in again. It was just a tiny kiss, but it was better than perfect.

Emma sighed happily. "Do I really have lipstick all over?"

"Well, if you remember I came here with a dark red on."

"Yup. That's gone now."

They both laughed as they shuffled around each other, switching places so Emma was by her own door again.

"Tomorrow."

"See you." Regina waved delicately and nearly missed the first step on the way back down to her car.

Emma laughed and floated back in her apartment.

"Ahmma…"

"Mom, what's all over your face?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone can hate me, it's okay. I'm a terrible author to follow, but we're in the home stretch now. Few more chapters.
> 
> Thank you again, as always, to Sammichbatch, because she edited AGAIN, even though her life is literally going through some of the biggest changes there are. Also thank you to her, because she has offered me a place in her home (not in America), just in case Donald Trump wins the election, and I will be taking her up on that one in the event the worst actually does happen. #IMWITHHER and I don't apologize.
> 
> J. Beans (not an author) also spell checked and things for me. I appreciate her as well.
> 
> Thank you all who have continued to read and give me comments. I've said it a million times, they spur me on so much.
> 
> Hope you guys love reading this as much as I loved writing it.  
> You are all loved. R&R. You beautiful humans, you.

Emma put the boys in bed a little early that night. She _forgot_ to take Henry's cell phone away and even let Emmet fall asleep to the television to ensure she would have the opportunity for just a bit of privacy. On top of everything else, it didn't hurt that Ruby started spending the majority of her nights at Lance's house either.

It was just inching past ten thirty when she couldn't take it anymore and got out her phone; finding Regina's name like it was muscle memory.

_-Can I call you?-_

She didn't have to wait more than a minute before her phone vibrated a few times, signifying a call, not a text.

"Hello?"

"Hi." Regina's voice was warm and low on the other line.

Emma smiled hesitantly. "Did I wake you up?"

"No." She heard a sigh. "I didn't imagine I'd get much sleep tonight, really."

"Yeah, me either." Emma glanced up the stairs and sat herself on the counter in the kitchen, one knee under her chin. "I haven't been sleeping so well since we stopped talking."

Regina hummed on the other end in agreement.

"And I don't think I can wait to talk about it tomorrow."

"Should I come over?"

Emma smiled softly but shook her head. "Nah… if one of the kids woke up that would be kinda weird for them," she huffed a small laugh, "I don't know if I would really trust myself with all that just yet."

"What do you mean?"

She closed her eyes and pictured Regina with her brows knitted together in that gentle, concerned way. "I mean, I'm confused and probably still in a little shock. And knowing that you are feeling the same way now or have been or whatever…" She rolled her eyes at herself, "I think I'd just want to touch you, if you were here right now. It sounds awful, I know, but if we're on an honest streak, I might as well."

This time a happy hum buzzed through the speaker. "It does seem like the simplest form of validation, here."

"Yeah, but… probably not the one that should come first."

"You're right."

Emma licked her lips nervously. "Can I ask a question?"

"Of course."

She didn't mean for her breath to be so shaky, but it was. She couldn't help it. "Why didn't you say anything?"

There was a longer pause than the last time.

Then Regina sounded like she adjusted before she spoke. "At first… I think I knew before I _knew_ , if that makes any sense at all. I knew you were special to me. And I knew I trusted you, and that… that I hated when you left after the boys were asleep or when we had to stop talking. I knew I hated that Ruby had so much of your time, but I also knew I wanted you to be happy. And then it all came crashing down on me one night but I-"

"What night?"

She sighed again. "It was the night I came back from one of my conferences. The first time I was away from Emmet after he was born and you watched them for me. I came home and saw you lying with them…" Regina hesitated and Emma could hear her apprehensiveness over the phone like a scream. "All at once it turned into something more, or it clicked into place what you meant to me or how deep my feelings ran, but it was terrifying, Emma. I mulled it over for so long… and at the same time I thought you were dating Ruby, and from my perspective you were so happy with her. I guess, knowing now that you've never been romantic, it was just because you… understand each other? Or, your friendship is so pure? But everything as I saw it then, all put together was paralyzing and I couldn't bring myself to say anything."

Emma rubbed her temples and frowned. "But why didn't you ask me about Ruby? That night was a couple years ago, Regina. You just kept your mouth shut for that long?"

"Please don't be upset, I-"

"I'm not…" Emma took a few deep breaths and rolled her neck. "I'm just confused. And tired. But I want to talk. We have a lot to talk about."

"Then is it best over the phone?"

"Maybe not, but if we get the biggest questions out of the way then we can probably sort through the rest a little easier," She shrugged, "And, like I said, I honestly don't think I can wait. My head has been going in circles ever since you left."

Regina was quiet for another long moment before she started again, softer this time – almost like she could cry. "I think part of me didn't want to believe you were with Ruby. And another part of me wanted you to trust me enough to tell me without being prompted. The fact you didn't want to meant… it meant you- I don't know. There were so many options I didn't want to approach. Once you said it out loud then it was real and I didn't want it to be. But if you weren't dating her, then you were available, and I didn't know if I could approach you in a romantic way. We've been friends for so long… family, Emma. We're a family! I didn't want to interrupt the haven we'd created for Henry and Emmet. And for ourselves. I've never had a friend like you." Her voice finally started to shake. "And I didn't want this to happen – what just happened – not talking and being separate and sharing the kids instead of being with them together. This has all hurt so much and it was exactly what I was afraid of."

Emma heard a few sniffles and felt her palms itch, wanting to hold her so badly it hurt. Comforting Regina was second nature, now. But she stayed quiet.

"And then… Then that morning after your birthday. I was just afraid. Of everything. I was afraid you would hate me for crossing a line or for putting myself between your relationship, what I thought was your relationship… and I hated myself for it. And I wanted you so badly but you weren't mine to want." She laughed through her tears, so sure that she sounded as silly to Emma as she did to herself.

But Emma felt the pull in her throat and the water in her eyes too. "And then Ruby moved in." She frowned.

Regina laughed a bit more soundly. "It looked like a commitment. And she looked at me like she hated me."

"She did."

"Yes, but not for cheating with her girlfriend."

Emma nodded. "True."

"What about you?"

She slid off the counter and flexed her feet on the linoleum. "What?"

Regina's voice was quiet. "Why didn't you say anything?" Before Emma could start, her voice spiked, jumping back in. "When did you… when did your feelings change?"

Emma smiled bashfully. "My feelings never really changed."

There was just silence on the other end.

"Hello?"

Regina cleared her throat. "What do you mean?"

"Regina, I was attracted to you from the minute I saw you." She said exasperatedly. "Everything from there on out just buried me deeper. I was either more attracted to you, or admired you. And then, ya know, you're right – we became a family. But even then I had to keep telling myself not to think of you as anything more than a friend."

"Well, you didn't tell me the way you felt either, then."

"Yeah… but you never gave me any reason to think you weren't completely straight. And outside of that, when I met you, you were dating Graham, then you were pregnant… and Emmet came and we were always so good. It never felt like the right time to introduce a different dynamic between us, or try to and risk turning you off on our friendship because… I don't know. I didn't want to just ask you out on a date out of the blue or something like that and make you think that the whole time I just stayed to try to get in your pants, because that wasn't it."

"We both just played avoidance tactics." Regina said quietly.

"Like a fucking cowboy with a six-string."

Regina burst out laughing on the other end of the line and Emma felt her own cheeks bubble under her eyes until they ached, not realizing how much she'd missed the rich, throaty sound. And then a sudden silence when the joy had calmed.

This silence was different. It was mutual – cogs moving in both of their heads and waiting for the other patiently.

Regina spoke first, stronger this time, and a little more hopeful sounding as well. "Neither of us really enjoy change, do we?"

"Probably not."

"I wouldn't mind this change, though."

Emma smiled. "Me either."

"Can I ask _you_ something?"

"Ha… Sure."

It took a second, but it didn't sound like hesitation. "Do you want to go on a date with me?"

"A _date,_ date?"

"Emma." She enunciated slowly. "An actual date. Just the two of us."

"Yeah." She grinned like an idiot. "Not going to lie, I kind of wanted to be the one to ask you."

"Well, then you can take me out, dear. I don't mind as long as we can… test the waters on our own."

Emma nodded. "That's a deal."

* * *

A full week later, and for the first time in Emma Swan's natural life, she was early.

The door swung open a few seconds after she knocked, revealing a very sly looking Henry with one wiggling eyebrow. "I figured something out."

She stepped in the entry way and kicked her boots off. "Did-ja, now?"

"That was mom's lipstick all over your face the other day, wasn't it?"

Heat rose into her cheeks but Emma just shook her head and started for the living room. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Emmet was on the floor with an ever-growing Elizabeth, and Katherine sat behind them on the couch, smiling down at the happy chatter they threw back and forth; Emmet with his broken sentences and Beth was grunting and pointing, with a mumbled "Yeah," here and there.

Katherine smiled as mother and son strode in awkwardly from the entry way. "Hey! I feel like I haven't seen you in years."

"Few weeks." Emma frowned and sat next to her. "I was kind of a d-bag."

The blonde shook her head. "At one point or another we all have to pick ourselves and be a d-bag. Reflecting time is important."

All she could do was smile. Emmet got up and gave her a hug, told her about school and what their bedtime routine had been like without her. They decided after she'd dropped the boys off the Sunday before that they would go back to just phone calls before bedtime for the time being before they'd figured everything out between them. The only exception was telling Henry last night that they planned on going on a date. What started as confusion quickly became acceptance from the teen.

"Thank you – also – for being available on such short notice." Emma sighed.

"Absolutely!" Katherine grinned. "To be honest with you, I thought you two had been making eyes at each other for a while now. Didn't think it was appropriate to say anything before you two did, though."

Emma smiled. "I'm nervous."

Katherine laughed. "She is too, don't worry."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. She asked me to come over an hour early for my official feminine opinion."

Emma frowned. "I'm afraid to ask."

"In short, she's picked out about seventeen different outfits for us to wade through."

Henry cleared his throat. "I didn't get paid for babysitting while they were up there."

"Tough shit."

"Ammah!" Emmet pointed at her forcefully. "No bad words."

Everyone else laughed while Emma just pretended she was shocked. "Sorry, bug! I didn't mean to."

"Iihs okay." He patted her knee and went back to showing Beth how to use the Jumbo Legos, but turned abruptly with a huge smile on his little face. "Mommy, so beautiful."

Emma whipped her head around, and yeah... she thought, Regina was pretty damn beautiful.

It wasn't the first time she'd seen her in jeans, but the first time these particular jeans made an appearance. They were black, and high waisted – not quite skin tight but they hugged the older woman pretty well. The white, flowy blouse topped by a grey jacket Emma was sure she'd seen before was more understated than she had ever seen Regina when they weren't just around the house. The lack of lipstick didn't go unnoticed either. She had to blink away the shock in her eyes, but the heat coloring her face couldn't be avoided.

Regina smiled faintly and headed straight for Katherine, handing her an envelope that she promptly pushed away.

"Regina, you don't need to pay me."

The brunette just shook her head. "I insist." She nodded. "It's also bribery – not to call my mother under any circumstance and if she calls, it's incentive to lie for me."

After a good moment, Katherine accepted the money, though Emma had the feeling it would inexplicably end up in the cutlery drawer.

Regina took her time in kissing the boys goodbye, and giving a warm smile to her friend before reaching for Emma's hand, and pulling it back before she got there, pointing at the door instead. "All set?"

Emma nodded and waved one more time before they headed for the door. She put her shoes on and let Regina close the door behind them, and out of nowhere, she was pressed up against the pillar, mouth sloppily kissed by the rigid woman who'd come down the stairs. But every bit of tension faded away between their lips. And all of the sudden it was gone, leaving Emma staring at her with wide, happy eyes.

"You good?"

Regina smoothed her hair and her jacket, and wiped at her mouth delicately. "Yes. I- absolutely." She smiled, and took a breath. "I just… That one particular thing couldn't wait."

Emma laughed and took her hand, taking lazy steps to the bug.

* * *

Regina was right. As always, she thought.

Emma went for something low pressure, but in the most comfortable way. They'd driven an hour out of town to a rather large bar/restaurant and ordered easy food that was easy to talk over, and the ambient noise just enough to feel as ease talking about all they wanted to. Not that they dared broach anything serious just then. But, looking down at her outfit, Regina felt confident she could blend in.

It took a moment to warm up to the Chicken Barbecue Nachos that was apparently the specialty, but once she got over the fact they weren't authentic, they actually had a nice flavor.

"Why are you picking the jalapeños off?"

Emma scrunched up her face.

"You don't like them?"

"They're too spicy."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "You're weak."

"Woah! Hold on… Did Regina Mills try to roast me just now?"

"Roast you?"

She nodded. "It's… shit. Like teasing me, but in a… more malicious way. But still joking?"

"Oh." Regina laughed. "Alright then."

"I know you're cooler and way more ethnic than I am, okay."

"Both observations are fairly obvious, I think."

"Shut up." Emma rolled her eyes.

Regina still just smiled, looking across the booth with a different look in her eye than she'd let herself show before.

Emma looked up at the tail end of it, just before she looked away. "What?"

Regina shook her head.

"Look at me."

The very ends of both of their lips tilted up looking at one another. "Yes?"

"Are you having a good time?"

Five years of smiles and slow, longing looks passed between them warning them of their fears and how much was at stake. Still, the toothy grin that planted itself on Regina's face was enough to melt the rest of the worry away.

"I am."

* * *

Just outside the restaurant, the dying light of the afternoon illuminated a rather large pond and a foot path running around it. The whole scene was glimmering with tendrils of pink and gold.

Emma, again, was the one to eliminate the awkward space hanging between them as they took the paved path around, offering her arm for Regina to hold.

"Late lunch." Regina sighed.

Emma shrugged and bumped her shoulder just a bit. "Or early dinner."

"No! No, I think it was a smart move."

"Yeah?"

Regina nodded. "Gave us more time to talk, and we get the sunset… and I think it was very strategic of you."

"I put some effort in."

"Well, it shows."

"Well, thank you." Emma fluttered her eyelashes erratically.

There was a few beats of comfortable silence before Regina moved her hand down from Emma's bicep to lace her fingers with the other woman's, trying her hardest not to focus on her raise in heart rate, or at least to try and blame it on the walk instead.

"Can I say that it feels a little odd?" She asked. "Not being with you... but after so long. I've trained myself to hold back, so now I'm not sure what to do."

Emma cleared her throat, "Yeah. I guess that's kinda true."

"What do we do?"

"Uhm…. What haven't we talked about?" Emma put her free hand in her pocket.

"Oh, is there anything?" A laugh bubbled out. "Other than... past relationships, I think. I've done my fair share in avoiding that. Although I don't know if that's appropriate first date conversation."

"Yeah."

"Although I haven't had a first date in almost a decade."

"Shit, you're old."

Regina hit her arm, then wrapped her other hand around Emma's forearm. "Tell me about your very first date."

"God." Emma looked out over the water. "I was fourteen and she was sixteen, and… and we thought we were tough shit."

"What happened?"

"We tagged a bridge and made out behind the gym at our high school."

"You what?"

Emma grimaced. "Probably not the cleanest conditions to suck face, but-"

"No, what is _tagged_?"

"Oh!" She laughed. "It's spray painting. Like graffiti."

"I see." Regina nodded. "So you've always known you were attracted to women?"

"I guess so?" She shrugged. "I grew up moving from home to home and sometimes just stayed in shelters. There were more girls than boys, and… I don't know if it was nature or nurture, but I just gravitated toward other girls. And they gravitated toward me, unfortunately."

Regina frowned. "Explain."

"I've… a lot of other girls used me as their test dummy." She tried to shrug it off. "And guys used me for – ya know. My relationship history is a lot of people who I can't remember their names and a few more who just hurt me and moved on." Emma stretched her back out quickly and kept walking. "Not to make things dark. You tell me. Who was there before Graham?"

Regina squeezed her hand and continued. "Not much of note. I was very serious with one boy in high school, and even until my freshman year of college. But he died and I didn't date for a few years after. Mind you I participated in quite a few… encounters after, more as avoidance for the grief I felt." She gulped and thought for a moment. "I was very close with a professor of mine during graduate school, and she kissed me twice, but nothing happened past that. And I refused to give it any thought because I knew my mother would disown me, and I still needed my inheritance to finish school."

"Oh, so I'm not the first?" Emma grinned.

"God..." Regina pushed her away as Emma laughed before they gradually brought their hands back together. "I don't know. I've always found the female form appealing but men were… familiar? And just sit in the palm of your hand, and I'm sure you know I enjoy my control. But I've never thought about dating women again until you, and seeing you with Emmet and Henry."

"Yeah, I tried to tell Ruby I wouldn't have a chance in hell if the kids weren't around."

"Oh, I don't know about that."

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"There's… I remember when you brought Henry back; I kept looking at your mouth. And I didn't know what it was – I just thought it was mild jealousy or something. Should have been my first sign, but I was so set on making it work between Graham and I."

"I get it now. I didn't then."

"Why I was with him?"

Emma shook her head. "Why you stayed for so long. I get why you were with him in the first place, and then so much effort in the beginning would seem wasted. And the fact that Henry was ten, and probably just jealous of the attention not being on him."

"Well that and he was the first person in so long to try standing at my side. I've never wanted any one to pave my own path for me – I'm not a follower. I've worked for everything I've been given and so many men are intimidated by that. He just fell right in line. It was easy. In retrospect it was too easy. I don't want to be with a follower either and I think that's what he was, a follower without any real sense of direction until he's there. And all of the sudden, he had to decide if he was ready to be a father or at least a father figure to Henry and he wasn't. And my son isn't something negotiable. He, on the other hand, was. And…" Regina sunk in her shoes. "Sorry. I – that was a bit much."

Emma wriggled her fingers with Regina's. "You're fine."

"Thank you." A soft smile graced her lips. "If… I know it might be more than we should talk about on the first date, but you-"

"Okay, this first date thing isn't really a true first date. First dates are for people who are getting to know each other, but I already know you. And you know me. We've been right by each other for I don't know how long and soaking up being a family. I've let myself love you as my friend and the mother of my kid, and… just as a person. Fuck the rest of the feelings that were floating around, you are my friend first, and now that we're being honest, I'm not worried about the future. I know that you'll be in my life and even if this blows up in our faces, at least we tried. But we're trying with all of this history on our side. This is the next step, and seeing if we can work as just us in a girlfriend kind of way. We work as friends, and as parents. Don't ever be nervous about talking to me."

Regina looked into her eyes as they made the halfway point on the path, and didn't hold back from kissing the younger woman at her side. Only this time it wasn't rushed, or nervous, or needy. This time it was slow and deliberate. Their lips met in the happy medium between excitement and reassurance, and they both sighed into the contact.

"I like the way you said _girlfriend_." Regina grinned. "And I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't think we would be good together, like this."

Emma let her nose tap Regina's a few times before answering. "I have more planned – don't go getting mushy on me, now."

"More?" The brunette's eyebrows rose again.

* * *

Emma didn't hint at anything.

An hours ride back to town and they just chatted about how Cora would lecture the both of them separately and together as soon as she got wind of anything happening, and when Henry would face up and tell them that Ava was his actual girlfriend. If ever.

Emma parked at her apartment, but walked Regina down to the docks without explaining a thing, even when they got there. The boats knocked gently against the wood beside them and soft sloshing noises punctuated each step they took.

"I'm very curious."

Emma nodded, and said nothing.

Before long, they went out onto one of the isolated docks, where Leroy waited for them. He owed Emma a favor after she hadn't written up his last drunk and disorderly in front of the convent. The pudgy man stood over a fire pit with a tote bag full of wood and kindling over his shoulder and two folding chairs, along with a basket full of graham crackers, marshmallows, and Hershey's.

Emma shook his hand before he did a strange sort of bow toward the Mayor. "Enjoy, your Highnesses." He set the bag of wood down and went on his way.

The blonde yelled her thanks after him, and all she got in return was a wave without a look back at all.

"I was impressed with my decision of dress until just now." Regina laughed at herself.

They sat down and Emma scooted her chair closer to Regina's. "There are blankets in Leroy's boat if we need them." She pointed to the little, white boat to their left as they walked up.

"The fire's doing its job for now. But thank you." She smiled. "I was more so thinking of my heels."

"If you break one of them, I'll carry you." Emma winked and dunked her hand into the marshmallows before any of the other items were opened, without looking at the dinky little roasting sticks.

Regina just grinned at her before looking out over the water, a clear white line reached out toward them on the water from the moon. "You certainly pulled out all the stops."

The blonde sighed and sat back a little more, putting a lazy hand on Regina's thigh and letting her heart race as she did so. "Didn't even scratch the surface."

"Really?" Always the mom, she pulled out the fixings and set them out before loading marshmallows on each of their respective roasting sticks. "I couldn't imagine what else you'd have planned."

"Not tonight."

"How on Earth would you top this date?" Regina put a stick in Emma's free hand and covered the one on her thigh with her own fingers. "I'm genuinely curious."

Emma stared into the fire. "I've been dreaming of taking you out for years. I have plenty of things cooked up in my head."

"How many do I get to see?"

She shrugged. "How many do you want to see?"

There was a pause and Emma had to look over at her to make sure everything was still okay, and when she did, Regina was chewing on her lower lip and staring, the same sort of way she imagined she, herself would have looked countless times staring at Regina.

Her fingers scooped Emma's up off of her thigh and squeezed. "All of them."

Emma leaned forward on the arm of her chair, inches from Regina's face. "Does that mean I get a second date?"

Regina nodded.

"What are you thinking about?"

Their voices had faded to just above a whisper and melded with the soft splashing sounds around them. "How easy this has been." She glanced at the air around them. "Today. Since we've talked things over… And how much time's been wasted, stumbling on our way here."

"We didn't waste any time. If this would have happened a year ago, or two, or before, it probably would have been way too much. Us – right now – with everything we've coached each other through, we have a way better chance." Emma ran her thumb over Regina's knuckles and looked down at their hands, glowing red in the fire light. "I'm ready now. I don't know if I would have been before."

"You're probably right." Regina inched closer and did a dramatic whisper. "But I have to tell you something."

"What?"

Her lips were right next to Emma's ear, so her breath brushed hot against the chill of the late fall evening.

"Our marshmallows are on fire."

* * *

It was just past midnight when they crept back in the house. Everything was as spotless as Regina would have kept it on a regular night, other than the play pen Beth was sleeping in and her mother passed out over her book on the sofa next to her.

"Poor Kat." Emma whispered. "Shit, I didn't even think about being out this late."

Regina shook her head. "She offered to stay the night if… I happened not to come home."

Emma's mouth fell open and Regina glared at her.

"Oh, please. You're charming, but not even you could keep me away from my children for a whole night without about a month's notice and nanny cams everywhere." She rolled her eyes.

Regina ditched her heels, ran up the stairs for a moment, and came back down to wake Katherine up gently.

She opened her eyes in shock before blinking and looking around.

"Sorry! The guest room is ready for you." Regina grinned.

Katherine looked at Emma and gave as much of a smile as she could before yawning and shaking her head. "We can head home. It's okay."

Regina put her hands on her hips. "David is asleep, you're exhausted, and Beth will absolutely wake up if you try to put her in the car. Just sleep here, and we'll send you home with breakfast in the morning."

The older blonde looked to Emma again and wagged her eyebrows. " _We_?"

Emma laughed but Regina didn't leave any more room for argument as she picked Beth up herself and started for the stairs. She whispered that there were extra clothes laid out for her when she got upstairs before handing the baby over.

When she came back down to the entry way, Emma just stood there staring at her with an easy grin.

"What's the smile for, Sheriff?" Regina crossed her arms.

Emma stepped forward and put her thumbs through Regina's belt loops. "We…."

"If I didn't let Katherine drive home, why would I let you?"

"I drove you home just now."

Regina put her hands on Emma's biceps. "You'd just have to drive back in the morning for breakfast anyway… and you would lose sleep trying to be on time-"

Emma kissed her soundly, but not lighting any spark they couldn't stamp out if they wanted to. "You're making excuses to keep me here."

The brunette just nodded and sighed, her arms coming up to completely encircle Emma's neck.

"I mean... I've already slept in your bed quite a few times."

"I'm also tired, Emma. I would like to head up now." She huffed, but couldn't help the tugging at the ends of her lips as she pecked at the lips in front of her again. "Just sleep. I will not have sex with you for the first time in a house full of people."

"Who said I was expecting you to?!" Emma tried to push her away playfully, but Regina just caught her hand and pulled her up the stairs.

Quietly, like they'd done this a million times, Regina got sleepwear out for both of them – pants and tops, nothing revealing. Emma changed in the bathroom and by the time she came out Regina was dressed and already pulling the covers back. She stopped at the vanity after she set her clothes down in the hapless ball they would have been in back at her apartment, and stared as the woman of her literal and figurative dreams put her hair up in a claw-clip and climbed in her bed.

Regina caught her as she was reaching over to adjust pillows. "What?"

Emma shook her head. "You're just pretty."

She saw the fight die in Regina's eyes as the smile grew on her lips, honest and somehow bashful at the same time. She wondered if that meant she knew exactly how much she meant it.

The older woman just hit the pillow next to her gently. "Are you going to lie down or not?" She said quietly.

Emma didn't buy into their teasing for once, and climbed under the covers as Regina shut lamp off.

In the dark, they shifted down, sheets up and over their shoulders and the smallest dash of blue light splashing through the windows, and rolled over to face each other, not quite touching. They stayed like that for a while, looking at one another in the dark as the minutes passed.

Under the sheets, Regina's hand found Emma's elbow and wrapped her fingers in the crease of her arm before she kissed her again. Emma closed her eyes puckered her mouth to match the slow, chaste kiss Regina gave her, rinsed, and repeated before she scooted closer, wrapping an arm around the older woman's waist, and abruptly pulling her lips away to kiss Regina's forehead.

Her lips stayed there, and she felt Regina settle into the contact.

"Goodnight." Emma whispered.

"Good morning, dear."

Neither could feel the somersaults the others stomachs were doing before they fell asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: In exchange for being a shit and not ever updating, I give you a slightly longer chapter - jam packed with the feels. 
> 
> Big thank-you to Sammichbatch again. She's the best. Literally, you guys have no idea, even with everything she has going on and the new and amazing turns her life is taking she always finds a minute to help me and I appreciate her a ton. 
> 
> I've already started working on the next chapter, so hopefully it'll only be about a month before I get it all squared away and up on here. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who doesn't hate me - and those of you who do, I guess? For reading and enjoying if you have. I still really love this story and I WILL finish it. I promise. I can't promise a time line, but I do say with certainty that it will have an end and I will publish that end. 
> 
> Have a great day guys, you are loved.   
> Enjoy.

Emmet crossed his arms and tried again. "Ex-a-ber."

"Ex-cal-ih-ber." Lance annunciated, though he couldn't help laughing a bit at the little boys effort.

The now three-year-old rolled his eyes expertly and gestured to the dog with both hands turned palm-up and fingers splayed wide. "I just think his name should be called doggy."

The Chihuahua barked in agreement.

Emmet pointed at him. "He barked-ded. I-it means he also likes it.. he likes it too."

Regina kissed his head as she passed by on her way to put more gifts along the wall left of the fire place. "Just _barked_ , sweatheart."

The little boy turned back to Lance and nodded, "Barked. Doggy barked. Not barkeded." Emmet picked up the hand that wasn't holding Excalibur and gave it a high five.

He laughed again. "It's okay. I call her Callie most of the time, anyway."

There was a moment where Ruby just grinned to herself and let her mind drift to little caramel babies and the kind of stability she didn't believe in until she saw Emma stick it out for someone who might not even have feelings for her and their weird little family. Her vision blurred from the cute little scene happening in front of her. As soon as she and Lance walked in all the kids went insane over the little dog, and her… guy friend.. was more than happy to introduce her.

"I like him." Emma sat down next to her heavily, making her jump a little.

Ruby grinned. "Me too." She pointed at the unfolding chaos – Lance putting Emmet in a football hold and chasing Alexandra around toward the kitchen. "Looks like the kids are giving him a good rating."

Emma nodded and sipped on her Dr. Pepper. "How serious is this thing, now?"

"He… asked me to be _official_." Ruby looked at her shoes.

"Really?"

"Yeah." She sighed and angled herself toward her friend without looking up. "We were going for a run after we got off work with the dog.. he stopped me out of nowhere and just said he liked me a lot. And that he didn't want to date anyone else right now."

The blonde squinted at her. "You say it like that's a bad thing."

"It's just kinda overwhelming. I thought I'd take another ten years and then settle for like… whoever's wife died and wasn't super ugly. He's just so nice… I thought he might be in the closet – I've never met someone so polite."

"Being polite doesn't mean you're gay." Emma sat back on the sofa and threw one foot over her knee.

"Em, he's a muscley, well groomed, black man with a Chihuahua that opens doors and still calls people ma'am. He's either gay or Prince Charming , and I didn't have my money on being anyone's Princess." Ruby deadpanned.

Katherine cleared her throat. "Princess Beth is right here. I bagged prince charming **(Prince Charming)** ten years ago, you back off." She winked at both of them before shaking her head and continuing over to David, who'd already rolled the arm of his shirt up and was ready to arm wrestle Sean right next to Emmet's birthday cake.

Emma smiled, and then let it brighten just a little as her eyes met Regina's.

"Looks like that's going well." Ruby raised her brows.

"It is." The sheriff leaned forward. "You're deflecting – what did you say?"

"To Lance?"

"No to the Pope – Yes, Lance. Idiot." She laughed at her own joke.

Ruby crossed her arms, but smiled softly. "I told him I didn't want to date anyone else either… but I wanted to wait a little longer before we… advertised."

"Everyone in the dining room!" Regina called.

While everyone was filing in, Emma waited behind with Ruby, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Take it slow – for sure. Nothing wrong with waiting. Just make sure to let him know how much you like him, okay?"

Ruby nodded bashfully. The feeling was new.

But everything around this town was changing. She watched Regina light the candles and all of the kiddos, teenagers, and adults gather around the table, watching a little boy's face light up as he looked at the frosting like it was gold. Ruby realized that all of her friends were either married or in relationships and she remembered graduating from high school like it was a few hours ago. But she was older now – she didn't need to cover her face in eyeliner to feel comfortable anymore. She was the manager at the diner, and she was living almost on her own, what with Emma spending every other night at the mansion. And she was dating the greatest guy…

So yeah, she thought, why not have hope? Why not just smile and hope for the best. Of course she would be careful but she wanted to see where things would go…

Ruby's eyes stopped scanning the small crowd when she got to Cora's face. Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets on giant cartoon springs. That or her teeth would shatter under the pressure of her jaw biting down on them. Everyone else was in the middle of the happy birthday chorus but she was just staring. So like the proper snoop she was, Ruby followed where Cora was looking, and smiled on instinct… and then it faded away, because she knew exactly what that meant.

Emma and Regina's hips were just barely touching, and one of each of their hands were behind Regina's back – obviously linking their fingers together even if they were trying to be discrete. All of the sudden that grainy song from forever ago that Will Ferrell sang in step brother's about _standing just a little too close_ started playing in her head like a hybrid between Jesus and Fergie.

Shit.

Okay, no. Not _shit_. Her eyes flashed between Cora and the stupidly obvious love birds and she knew that her only option was to do damage control.

Emma and Regina separated without so much as a longing look, like they were so cool – Emma stepped up to cut the cake and start serving it, and Regina went to start scooping ice cream into bowls, and it didn't take a genius to know Cora would stalk Regina, the isolated one, to corner first and probably start asking her question after question about what was going on, or jump to conclusions and tell her what a stupid decision she was making. Or both.

"Nope." Ruby said under her breath.

She plastered on her biggest, brightest, fake smile she owned and marched right over to the older woman, taking her by the arm and laughing like they'd been friends for years. "Oh my God! I can't believe I haven't said hi to you yet. Have I told you what I got Emmet – you'll love it." She dragged her down the hall, vice grip on Cora's bicep until she shut the door to Regina's study behind them.

"Miss Lucas! Do not-"

"Shut up, I… holy shit." She looked around the room. "It's nice in here."

Cora was visibly upset, probably for good reason, but Ruby jumped back to block the door. "Let me out!"

"Hell no. Listen-"

"Out of my-"

"You don't fucking scare me, lady. I don't run in your fancy little circle and I could give a good God damn about the influence you think you have in this town. Four old people listen to you out of boredom, don't flatter yourself. What I care about are my friends. Specifically Emma and.. you know, I guess Regina now, too… weird as that sounds. They-"

"This is none of your concern. She's my daughter-"

Ruby leaned in and got louder. "Your daughter and a grown ass woman! You don't get to ruin this for her. So take a big fucking step back and let them figure out what THEY want this to be on their own. So when she comes to tell you, if they do, and you're supportive, you'll probably get a lot more time with the kids. You know I'm right, even though you want to micromanage what's going on – I can feel it coming off of you like steam off chicken noodle."

Cora squinted.

"Okay. Yeah. That one was a shitty reference, but you know what I mean."

"Do you have a point you'd like to r-"

Ruby held a finger up. "I'm not finished." She smiled again – malice rising behind her expression. "Regina and Emma are happy. It's too soon to say forever for them, but it's a forever thing. Trust me. They are falling hard and fast, and this is it for them. And if you think about it, this is the best fit for Regina that there could ever be."

Cora opened her mouth, but Ruby just shook her head again.

"They trust each other and know each other too well, and they love those boys more than anything. They value each other's opinions and… all that stupid, perfect couple stuff. So. Step one; you're going to go back out there and pretend you didn't notice a God damn thing. Step two; you're going to continue on with your life and don't hint at or pressure or try to dig up information in any convoluted way on them. Step three; if Regina ever trusts you enough to tell you, smile and nod. Step four; reap the benefits. Not only getting to spend time with your grandbabies but knowing that someone loves your daughter and has done a whole lot to make her happy – even before they were dating."

There were a few beats of silence that Cora filled only by staring at the younger brunette with a pursed mouth and daggers in her eyes.

Ruby remained unphased. "Sound good, pumpkin?"

It took a few seconds, but Cora nodded once.

"Good."

-x-

There's a dull ache when your head isn't spinning anymore, but your heart still holds the shock like a hole – a clean cut that won't ever heal because of denial and anger.

Mary Margret thought that it might heal if she didn't see what caused her sleepless nights driving around in a police cruiser every other day – that pang of regret fresh every time – but she couldn't move away. She was sure the only thing worse than wondering what could have been every time she saw the sheriff, was not seeing her at all, and not knowing she was happy.

She didn't spend any of the rent money. The past years she just stashed it away. Emma explained once that looking your landlord in the eye while you handed them cash was an easy way to know you wouldn't be accused of shorting them or having a check bounce and then too much go missing out of her account suddenly. She was smart, she thought.

That night she could only do a few hours at the hospital. December meant lots of babies, and the vicious tornado of regret swirled again.

The walk home was further than the walk from the school. Even more so when you can smell the ice crystals start forming and apple pie from the diner.

"Hi, there."

She looked up from staring at her feet. That voice, again.

Regina nodded. "Hello, Miss Blanchard."

Mary Margret smiled and tucked her scarf down from her nose. Her eyes flashed down – Regina's arm hooked through Emma's. It could be innocent, but the glance they shared said more. "Good evening!" She winced at how high her voice came out.

"What are you doing out so late?" Emma's sheriff **(Sheriff)** voice took over.

"I volunteer at the hospital on weekends." She pointed behind her. "What about you two?"

They smiled at each other.

"A movie." Emma said.

"Which one?"

Regina shrugged. "That… wasn't planned. Dinner was finished earlier than expected so… why not? Whatever is playing next, I assume."

Their heads all nodded lazily for a few moments, like solar bobble heads on a cloudy day.

The teacher stood up a bit straighter. "How's Henry? Still brilliant, I'm sure."

"Well.. we think so." Regina beamed.

_We._

Emma took her free hand out of her jacket pocket to gesture with. "Actually he took creative writing as an elective and said that you encouraged him to read some of his favorite fiction at his conference."

"He did." Regina agreed. Then her eyebrows went up. "You should run for the school board chair on the Town Council. Tom is thinking of stepping down soon."

"Oh… I-"

"I bet I could read your emails easier. He replies from his phone… so many typos. That man is all thumbs."

Mary Margret shook her head. "I don't know if I would have time.. between grading and the hospital. But thank you for the thought."

"Of course." Regina nodded and sighed. "Let me know if you change your mind."

"I will."

Then that pregnant pause. Emma and Regina looked at one another with happy but reserved smiles before turning their respective gazes back to her, and the teacher bowed out, offering a small wave as she side stepped their path.

"Have a good night." Mary Margret moved too quickly to hear if they said anything back or not, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter what she thought. She didn't get to have an opinion. She forfeit that right before she even won it.

-x-

Tonight was supposed to be the night. Regina knew it.

And Regina was terrified.

The kids had a sitter overnight, Ruby was away, they'd been on a few dates, and everything pointed to the next step, so to speak, happening between them. A physical step. Not that Regina wasn't attracted to Emma – good god **(God)** , quite the opposite – but it was more than just the wanting being present. She didn't want to disappoint, or not live up to the standard Emma might have in her mind. And the physical part of a relationship was important. Not only for the obvious intimacy factor, but for trust and-

"Space ranger?"

Regina blinked. "Pardon?"

Emma waved a hand in front of her face. "What's up with you tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've been sitting here through the credits and you haven't moved." She frowned. "You tired? Long week?"

"Oh.." Regina looked at the title screen coming back up on the television and cleared her throat. But even angling herself toward the blonde she struggled for words. She just nodded. "I guess so."

Emma squeezed her hand. "You okay?"

She couldn't answer right away. She knew she should be okay. It was fine. But Regina looked down at their hands that had long since been intertwined, their fingers slipping through each other's calmly as they watched the movie. Emma's favorite movie in fact, that she wanted to share. Regina reached down Emma's wrist and traced the little yellow stones in her bracelet.

The blonde dropped her free hand off the back of the couch and squeezed Regina closer, and Regina saw the easy, unassuming curiosity in her eyes. "Talk to me."

"I.." Regina gulped and put her feet under her, turning fully toward the Sheriff. "I'm nervous."

"Why?"

"This.." She looked around them for a moment with a raise of her eyebrows. "I know where this is going an-"

"Sex. You mean you're nervous about sleeping with me." She clarified.

Regina hesitated, but nodded.

"If you don't want to-"

"No! I want to. I just… I think.."

Emma moved her hands away and put them under her thighs, looking at the screen instead of Regina.

"I've never actually… this is all very new to me. Not… the act of, but-"

"Regina." She put her head back against the couch with a sigh. "I don't need you to have sex with me. This can work without needing to have sex. I mean, I don't prefer it. But if you're not comfortable with it, I mean I kinda get it."

"What are you talking about?"

Emma turned her head toward her. "I get it. Like.. you can want to be with someone and not.. want to be with them, ya know. I don't expect you to suddenly be attracted to women because you have feelings for me. And if-"

Regina laughed lightly and shook her head.

"What?" The blonde's eyebrows furrowed together.

"Let me, just.." She moved over carefully, placing herself in Emma's lap and put Emma's arms around her middle before she started playing with the ends of the yellow hair hanging down one of her shoulders. She watched her fingers start a loose braid before she spoke, this time quieter.. "I am very attracted to you."

Emma nodded.

"I'm just scared. Believe me I've thought a lot about it… about us." She smiled for a moment. "There are a lot of things that worry me. Like… my lack of experience. With women." Regina gulped. "And the fact that… my body had changed so much since having Emmet, I'm not as appealing as I may have been whe-"

The words died on her lips as Emma pulled her closer and pressed their lips together with purpose.

Emma waited until Regina hugged around her neck before she pulled away. "You are the sexiest damn woman I have ever seen, do you understand me?"

She nodded.

"I'm happy just getting you to myself for a whole night either way, okay? Tell me you want to wait and I'll wait as long as you need me to."

Regina had already started to feel her heart start to quicken. She rested her forehead against Emma's. "I think we've both waited long enough."

A slow grin spread across Emma's mouth in her half-lidded haze, so she kissed her again. And again.

They let the heat rise in their cheeks as Regina's fingers threaded through Emma's hair and pressed into her scalp, or as one of Emma's hands rolled down Regina's dress and her thumb ran over the dimples and ridges of her knee, her other holding her waist firmly, even as her back arched so their chests were pressed together tightly.

Emma groaned with a smirk as she moved both hands under Regina's knees and stood, hoisting Regina up so her hands were clasped under her butt with a leg on either side of her.

Regina yelped and held on tighter.

"Relax, I've got you."

"You better." Regina ducked her head to the side of her neck with a purr, placing her lips on Emma's skin slow, searing dots toward her shoulder. "I didn't know you were so strong."

"How am I supposed to make it up the stairs with you doing that?"

"Carefully," Regina murmured against her pulse point. "I hope."

Emma's hands moved to grasp the underside of either of Regina's thighs, adjusting her a little higher before heading up the stairs, and this time, all the Mayor did was slide her fingers inside the neck of Emma's shirt, her palm pressed against the smooth swatch of skin she found there.

"Can you-" Emma backed toward her bedroom door after the top step.

Regina kissed her and nodded, turning the door knob with her free hand, and they all but fell into the room as Emma stumbled back to the bed until the back of her legs hit the comforter. Her hands gripped Regina's hips and she sighed when she went back to kissing her neck, and lower until Regina's lips pressed into the little space between her throat and her clavicle.

Then one by one, Regina's tiny kisses made a line back up to Emma's lips.

Their breath came in deep, labored huffs after they broke apart. She could see Emma's features in the residual light spilling in from the doorway, and felt all of the nerves she had downstairs the few minutes before. But Emma was just there, her eyes deep and kind as she waited patiently for Regina to make the first move with the softest smile on her face. This woman she knew and who knew her, and she didn't know anyone who she'd want to share herself with more.

So she reached down between them and pulled the hem of Emma's sweater up and over her head, and Emma put her arms up to let her.

Clothes came off slowly accompanied by lingering touches and feather light kisses exchanged as they fell to the floor.

Emma followed Regina up toward the head of the bed as she backed up, meeting her lips again as her hand reached to ease a bra strap from her shoulder.

One of Regina's hands held Emma's elbow in encouragement, but the other hovered over her bare stomach. Maybe it was subconscious, or perfectly plain in everything she knew were her own insecurities, but the brunette's shoulders tensed a bit at being so exposed, and for the first time in this skin that no one had ever seen before.

Emma stopped immediately, looking for what was wrong.

Regina tried to kiss her again but Emma ducked out of the way and kissed her forehead and grabbed both of her hands. Then she kissed her cheek and her chin. "You're perfect."

She rolled her eyes.

Emma shook her head and kissed the tip of her nose. "I'm serious." She whispered.

Regina took a shuddering breath as Emma reached behind her and unclasped her bra, and held it as Emma's eyes glittered when pulling it away. Her knuckle slid along the underside of her breast and Regina felt it catch every ripple, every tiny scar that had once been angry and purple when they grew to feed her son. Her knuckle turned into all of her fingertips, ghosting over the tender peak for just a moment before falling in the middle of her chest, and following that line bisecting her torso down to her navel. She knew what Emma would see and couldn't help the knot in her throat. What was once her tanned, toned stomach was littered with little, jagged, white stripes and an ugly brown line just above her underwear between her hip bones where Emmet came into the world.

Regina looked at the ceiling instead of Emma's face, fearing the expression there or perhaps lack thereof if she wanted to hide it.

But the blonde took her hands again and pulled her to sit up. And Emma kissed her, not as though she was trying to distract her, but the exact opposite.

"They're beautiful because they're you." Emma stood at the side of the bed and pulled her to sit at the side, and she turned so the light caught the side of her hips, and the tops of her thighs.

She pointed first, tugging at her own skin before she grabbed Regina's hands and letting her touch the similar markings Emma owned as well. There were a few just above her navel, almost the same color as the rest of her skin.

"Henry did a number on me, too."

Regina stared, and traced the lines just like Emma had, finding them fascinating and somehow just as alluring as the rest of the blonde.

"You don't need to be worried. I want you, Regina." Emma covered Regina's hand with her own. "Tiger stripes and all."

So she kissed her. Harder and deeper than before as she pulled Emma down on top of her again, and rolled them over, and as they stripped each other the rest of the way. She let Emma do everything right, moving slowly enough to be stopped if need be, but not slow enough to be misread as hesitation. She let go as Emma kissed over her stretchmarks and her c section scar, and dragged her tongue over her nipples, and her navel, and bite at the inside of her thighs. Regina let herself feel every thrust and lap and nip, and finally burst at the seams with Emma all but pinned between her legs by the time she was spent.

Then she let herself try and fail, and let Emma guide her hands between the guesses of her nervous fingers. She paid attention, and kissed Emma's skin, and watched how her face twisted, how her lips parted, and listened for those breathy groans. She felt the tightening and the sweat sticking to them both, and let herself revel in Emma's trembling and the expletives falling from her mouth. She kissed Emma's face as she had to hold on to her shoulders with the tremors that wracked her body.

And after it all, she let herself fall on top of the blonde and kiss her face as they both caught their breath. She felt Emma's hands still roaming her body under the sheets, lazily mapping out every curve and dip, and Regina just closed her eyes and hugged her around her shoulders.

"Ya know, I kinda like you." Emma whispered in that unique way that sits somewhere between completely sarcastic and absolutely genuine. "I'm going to let you stay, for now."

Regina hummed happily. "I'm so very grateful."

-x-

Emmet came yelling into the station with a tub of salad in his hands and nearly threw it on Sean's desk before hopping into Emma's arms.

Regina and Henry came in after with the rest of dinner.

"What's all this?" Emma adjusted the toddler and kissed his head.

Henry flipped the chair around and sat on it like a regular James Dean. "You were too busy to come home for dinner, so we brought it to you."

"Awweee…" Emma leaned over and kissed Regina on her cheek as she met her half way. "Thanks you guys."

"Oh please." Regina started passing out napkins and forks for everyone. "If we didn't feed you, you'd live off of bear claws and French fries."

Henry rolled his eyes at both of his mothers smiling at each other – a new tenderness in their eyes as they teased, but smiled all the same.

Emma jabbed her fork at him from across the table. "What do you want for your birthday?"

He shrugged. "Nothin'."

-x-

Emma shoved her face a little further behind her scarf as Regina rang the doorbell to her mother's house. This was either going to be great or a horrible disaster. One or the other. No in between.

But looking down at Emmet's hand wrapped around Regina's first two fingers and Henry hopping from foot to foot holding the bag of presents, it brought a smile to her face. This was her family now. No more settling for being welcome in their little circle, she was there and there to stay.

Cora opened the door with her overpowering grin that only faltered slightly when she saw Emma standing behind her grandson.

The older woman held out her arms, "Merry Christmas!" She said, pitch a little higher than she may have intended.

They all shuffled in, hanging up coats and kicking shoes off. Emma followed suit and helped Emmet with his little scarf that he surely would have only tried to pull at if it were left to him alone. Regina smiled at her through her reflection in the mirror behind the coat rack.

Cora enveloped Henry and Emmet and Regina in their own respective hugs before taking her place at the far end of her fancy couch that would almost count as a clone for the one in Regina's office if it weren't for the brassy knobs at the bottom holding the whole thing up.

"How was Italy?" Regina asked, leaning against the couch next to Emma instead of sitting.

"Florence," Cora smiled down at the boys, "was beautiful. I have the pictures on that frame you got me if you'd like to look through them later."

Henry nodded like he might really be interested, but how wide his eyes got gave him away.

"How was your birthday, dear?"

His hair was getting a bit shaggy, and his fingers running through it made Regina squint a bit. "It was cool. We went down to Boston and got pizza. Saw the Nutcracker.. and I actually kinda liked it."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Henry laughed. "Emma even said it was fun to watch."

Emmet nodded, his curls bouncing around his eyebrows. "A-and some girls are in poofy skirts and-" he motioned with his hands around his hips, "like this, watch! They spin and spin and their arms are up in the sky and they stomp on their feet, Gah-ma." His knees raised up high and tried to point his little toes, but seemed to stumble every other step he took.

Presents were opened and played with while Cora and Regina exchanged small gifts, more as a sentiment than anything substantial, and Emma let herself drift off to that morning – getting to wake up with the Mayor in her arms, exchanging their good mornings over kisses before Emmet came in shrieking about how Santa brought the presents.

"Emma."

She blinked toward Regina, seeing both her and the older brunette giving her nearly the same look.

"Would you join us for a moment?"

Henry was helping Emmet open a new action figure on the floor as they stood and made their way to the kitchen. Before the door closed on the boys she looked back, Henry laughed at her with a wink.

Regina didn't bother leaning against the counter, but Emma stood behind her anyway, leaving more space from Cora just in case things went sour.

"Mother," Regina gulped and looked back at the blonde for a moment. All Emma could do was nod and take a very deep breath. "I-"

One more look back, and this time Emma held her eye and took a step closer, resting her hand on Regina's upper back in support, if not to urge her on.

She turned back toward her mother with her most professional tone. " _We_ – Emma and I – we feel it necessary to inform you of our… relationship."

Dead air. Cora's expression didn't change past the tight-lipped curiosity that she entered the room with.

Regina cleared her throat and took Emma's hand from her back and clasped it in her own, fingers laced firmly through the other's. "We - I.. I wanted to wait to tell you until I knew it was serious, but you're a part of my life, and it's only fair to tell you that we-"

"That's all?"

Emma and Regina looked at each other at the same time, horrified expressions mirroring each other.

Cora smiled and folded her hands behind her back. "Darling, you aren't as discrete as I think you'd like to be. The whole town knows, and therefore, I know."

She squeezed Regina's hand, seeing the awful deer-in-the-headlights look on her face.

"In any case, as long as you're happy, I'll be happy for you." She gestured back toward the living room. "Now, would you round up the children? I think we should start on brunch before it gets stale."'

It took a few moments for Regina to regain herself before nodding and blinking in Emma's direction. Even then, the blonde had to push her in the direction of the door before she moved away from her mother in the same state of shock.

After the door closed, however, was the reaction Emma had expected.

Cora's nostrils flared at her and it was Emma's turn to take a breath. Her mouth formed a hard line as the other woman stepped into her personal space.

She kept an air of grace, but the malice in her voice couldn't be denied. "I'm not sure what it is you're trying to accomplish here, but let me make it perfectly clear that if my daughter is ever hurt in any way, I will ruin you."

"Let me stop you." Emma rolled her eyes.

This was it – the moment she could shut Cora up once and for all. And maybe even exhaust her bad side so there was only positive to gain. At this point, Emma was sure there was no other option. She could go on a big, long tirade about how much she loved Regina and the kids, and how she was going to spend every minute just as she had been, standing by and making sure they were taken care of and safe. But all that was a given. For once Emma didn't need to fight. Her cards were finally on the table, and she had a winning hand.

"Actually, I don't need you to _let_ me do anything, Cora." An easy smile slid onto her mouth. "I'm going to marry your daughter one day."

"You-"

"And chances are, with how much time we spend wrapped around each other, Regina's going to say yes. Who knows, you might get more grandkids. But if you want to get a good seat at the wedding, you should probably start being a little nicer to me, Mom."

Cora's eyes threatened to fall from their sockets.

Emma just laughed and forced a hug on her before she went back into the living room.

-x-

Fireworks were still lighting up the sky as they drove home. The dashboard read 12:47am, and Regina's hand wormed it's way over to rest at Emma's knee as she drove home from Katherine and David's house.

They waited until they were in the driveway to look back at Henry who was staring dreamily out the window.

"You're staring."

Emma and Regina didn't budge.

After a few long moments Emma unbuckled her seat belt and turned to see him better. "Spill, kid. We know something's up."

The half-smile that brought one edge of his mouth up made him look so scarily like Emma, Regina looked back and forth between them until he answered.

He smoothed his hair down over a particularly large pimple on his forehead almost bashfully. "I kissed Ava… right as the clock hit midnight."

"My baby's first New Year's kiss." Regina poked his leg playfully.

"First kiss, period." He shrugged, though he couldn't help the big, red stains rising in his cheeks.

Emma squeezed Regina's hand. "You really like her, hu?"

He just nodded, and started to unclip Emmet from his car seat.

-x-

A sunny day in January hit everyone like cannon fire. But no one more so than Sean and Ashley, who welcomed a precious baby boy into the world.

Regina had stopped to pick Emma up from the station with flowers for the second-time parents in tow, when a bright spot of hot pink caught their attention on the other side of the station window.

"Is that.."

Emma frowned. "Blanchard's jogging?"

"It seems that way."

The both stared for a moment, the teacher blowing into her gloves and keeping pace with her feet as a car rounded the corner, obstructing her path. Immediately after it was past, she picked it up again, head down against the light breeze.

"New Year's resolution?"

Regina shrugged and leaned toward Emma to catch the last glimpse as she went on her way. "Maybe. But do you think she has enough of that god-awful color on?"

Emma shook her head. "Nah, her headband is black. She could definitely have more."

"You're terrible." Regina snorted.

"You picked me."

-x-

"What's the word, Mamma Bear?" Emma spooned some of the spaghetti sauce into Emmet's mouth as Regina came back into the room.

She left her cell phone by the refrigerator as she came around to hug Emma around her waist from the back, resting her chin on the blonde's shoulder. "He said they would be home around midnight."

"They'll be fine." She squeezed one of Regina's forearms.

"I keep trying to tell myself that, but Nicholas only just got his license, and-"

"And his dad has been letting him drive since he was twelve, top of the class in their driving course, and you have nothing to worry about." Emma paused, wiping Emmet's face. "Well, other than Henry getting Ava pregnant."

Regina laughed. "Not while her brother is playing third wheel with them." She kissed her shoulder and went to check to noodles.

"Mommy's being silly."

Emmet laughed at Regina obnoxiously.

The brunette turned around and stuck her tongue out at both of them. "Not to mention they're all the way in Boston, I mean.. they're teenagers. They'll be blasting their music and distracting each other." She sighed, like trying to be up-beat was exhausting.

But Emma placed her actual baby in her arms and pushed her from the noodles to stir them herself. "Ya gotta let him grow up sometime. And he's a good kid – he called you to check in so you knew he was safe, so if anything goes down I'm sure he'll call you for help." She grinned.

"You're probably right." Regina nodded and Emmet nodded right back to her, hands on his hips and an all-knowing look playing on his face.

For once, Emma didn't overdo the noodles, and the meat-to-sauce ratio was just about perfect. Emmet made a mess of his high chair, but Lysol wipes and a bath never failed to make everything look as good as new again. His damp hair air-dried into soft curly-q's while they read him a book. Without thinking Regina read the mommy lines and Emma ready the daddy lines, and it happened.

Emmet pointed toward the sheriff. "Ah-ma's a daddy."

They both looked at each other.

"What, honey?" Regina asked.

He patted Regina's thigh with his little hand. "Mommy is-a my mommy, an Ah-ma is a daddy. Ah-ma _my_ daddy." He said in a very matter of fact tone.

Regina's face fell. She didn't think the moment would have come so soon, or in a way where she would have to correct something so sweet and organic. Maybe now wasn't the best moment. Right before bed time might not be the best to introduce the idea of a man Emmet had never met before as a part of him, a part that Emma had taken over so entirely.

Luckily, Emma didn't wait for Regina to spin even further down her own decision making process as she closed the book and smiled like nothing had happened at all. They kissed him goodnight, laughing off his comment instead, and turned the monitor on.

When they got back to the room, though, Regina sat heavily on the bed.

Emma sat next to her. "He didn't ask about his dad." She said calmly, and kissed Regina's temple before wrapping an arm around her. "He just made an observation – connected dots in the easiest way he could."

Regina nodded.

"There will be other moments, and clearer ones where you can bring Graham up. You don't have to call him his dad, either."

The Mayor chewed her lip for a moment, but didn't face Emma. "You weren't… That wasn't too much for you, though."

Emma couldn't decide if it was a question or not. "Him calling me dad?"

She nodded and glanced towards Emma's feet.

"No! Why would that- Regina.." She crossed her legs and twisted so she was facing the brunette and waited for her to look back at her. "I would totally be Emmet's dad, if that's what you wanted."

"I love you." It was something that seemed to tear its way out of Regina so harshly, as though she'd been holding it back for months.

Emma just smiled wider.

"It's hard… I don't know how to bring up the subject of the future, because technically this is still so new, but I've loved you for years, and before that too." She sighed heavily. Her shoulders were curled over like the weight of the thought was physically pressing down on her frame. "Obviously slow is the only way to take this, you can't move in tomorrow and our decisions have to be thought out before we jump into the next step of our relationship, yet at the same time there-"

"I love you, too." She laughed.

Regina deflated a bit with a smirk and kissed her.

Emma threaded their fingers together and scooted ever closer. "It's weird because we did everything backwards."

"Yes. Precisely."

"But we're on the same page?" She offered. "I want this – all of it. Not just right now. I want to move in, and I want to wake up with you every morning. I want to marry you one day. I want to get all gross and wrinkly together, and pick crusties out of your eyes when you miss them and we're too lazy to get up and go find a mirror, okay?"

Regina's eyes watered, but she nodded.

"And for sure, not tomorrow. We'll know when it's right. But until then, let's not worry about it. We're both in this for the same things and that's good enough for me. The rest will fall into place."

Out of nowhere she pushed Emma away, her brows knitted together but mirth swimming in her eyes. "When did you become the voice of reason, Miss Swan?"

"Miss Swan?" Emma lurched forward slowly.

Regina kept batting her away, but soon enough they were rolling around, kissing and laughing, and generally falling more in love with one another as the tension died away in the midst of increasing nakedness and tender touches. Even when their touches roughened around the edges and sweat built, it didn't make it any less tender or important. By the time they surrendered to sleep, they'd spent their remaining energy on each other, purchasing more of the other's heart.

Around one in the morning, Emma jerked awake by the sound of her phone.

She missed the first call, picking her head up and trying to untangle herself from Regina, but no sooner did the ring tone die, did it sound off again.

Regina blinked groggily as well, pointing over at the end of the bed. "It's still in your jeans." She yawned.

So the sheriff reluctantly got up, shivering as she did.

"Swan." She croaked.

" _Emma, you gotta get out here. We're about a mile out from the welcome sign to the town – the ambulance is on its way but th-_ "

Regina turned on the light, and Emma winced.

"Sean, slow down. What's going on?"

" _Nicholas's car plowed into a tree, Emma. It's not good_."

"Emma." Regina sat bolt upright.

The words kept swimming through her brain like a dream. "What?"

Regina pulled on her robe and went down the hall.

_"_ _Henry was in the passenger seat, Em."_

Her footsteps thudded inside Emma's head as her mouth went dry.

"He's not home. What's-"

Emma shook her head, already fighting to get her clothes. "Go get Emmet. We have to go."

"What happened?!"

" _The ambulance just showed up_."

Emma's throat started to close. "Is he alright? Is he talking?"

Sean didn't answer.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention "Lance" (Ruby's boyfriend) is Lancelot. It might be mindless fan service or... maybe they might balance each other out? Call it a fever dream (or just drunk ideas that I add into fan fic).   
> Sorry I kept you waiting so long. Can't promise it won't happen again. But it makes me feel bad, so... take that for what you will. 
> 
> Regardless, you're loved. I appreciate your readership.

The day Mary Margret's life changed was a Tuesday. There was nothing spectacular about it at all.

She finished school and she wasn't on the volunteer schedule at the hospital, so she went downtown to get herself new walking shoes.

She could have never worked retail for so many reasons, but mostly because she could never be as friendly or as excited to tell a stranger about shoes as the young lady was who helped her pick them out. Her ponytail bounced as she talked. In the end, she convinced her to buy a pair of bright, neon pink jogging shoes - the expensive kind with the large brand logo facing out, because they would last longer and support whatever needed to be supported when exercising.

Once a night walks turned into power walks. Then she would go out in the morning with her coffee before she got ready for school as well. A week later, she went out and bought active wear to match her shoes.

The following Wednesday she realized she needed a lighter jacket, so she got a fuchsia wind breaker and finger-less gloves in a navy color the same young woman who helped her with her shoes told her would complement the rest of her work-out wardrobe.

Her morning walks turned into jogs. She ditched the coffee for a water bottle filled with cucumber and lemon slices like she saw online.

Weight started melting off. Come mid-January, she was running for an hour around town in the morning. She got to see the sunrise as she made the return journey every morning. Her bi-weekly trip to the bookstore allowed her to pick up a self help book with swear words in it.

Without even really trying, Mary Margret made herself happy again. Suddenly there were more possibilities than she realized she had. Her life was her own, it stopped just happening to her day by day, because she decided to fill her time with what she loved to do - being outside and teaching the kids. Seeing David around town with his wife and his daughter that looked so terribly like Emma wasn't as painful as it was before. Her time in the nursery at the hospital wasn't so tiring. At the beginning of February, she took Mayor Mills up on her offer and put in her resume and application for school board. There was no word if Tom was actually stepping down just yet, but it didn't matter. She was in the running. She was trying.

Her nose turned red that Saturday morning as she jogged to the hospital as it all floated through her head again. What she could try next to fill extra time. Maybe she'd get a puppy.

"Hiya, Pam!"

She waved to one of the women behind the desk, but all she got in return was a flat line of a smile as the woman spoke with a quiet intensity into the phone.

Mary Margret frowned, but kept on to the volunteer board. Her weekend shifts usually meant reading to the elderly patients before taking over for Terry in the NICU. But today it was just the NICU. Terry was written in on the board next to it for emergency surgery instead and a pit fell into her stomach. She went back over to ask about the emergency surgery – who it was for and what happened in the first place when the unusually full waiting room came into view.

Emma was holding Regina's son, who was blinking at his mother skeptically. Regina herself was stone faced, staring into a corner with red eyes.

Everyone else looked generally helpless. Ashley Herman, with her newborn strapped to her front, and her daughter speaking quietly at the toy table, Ruby Lucas was hugging herself in the corner, ignoring her boyfriend who was in his work clothes from the garage. Beside them sat Katherine and David, holding hands but determinedly silent. Sean Herman was in the hallway off the left of the entrance with Dr. Whale and Michael Tillman, and his daughter at his side.

But Ava was wearing a neck brace. There were several scratches over the bridge of her nose and a large bruise on her forehead.

In an instant, Michael dropped to his knees with an agonizing wail. Ava started to cry as well but turned to face the wall and cover her eyes.

Sean's eyes looked to be watering as he held a clip board firmly in his hands. He came right up to Emma and Regina and shook his head. Mary Margret could only make out a whisper of, "Nick just passed.." before the collective shock reverberated around the room. Ruby and Ashley both covered their mouths, Emma put her head down behind Emmet's back and started crying. Regina immediately got up and walked out the way the school teacher had entered from and sat on the curb in the grey light of the morning.

Ms. Blanchard found her way back to the front desk, and Pam leaned over and started whispering before she could ask.

"The Tillman twins and Henry Mills were in an accident this morning." She said. The nurse's usually warm smile was entirely absent, and the very corners of her eyes were tinged red as well. "We were about to call you, there's an issue of-"

"Buddy, one second." She heard Emma say behind her.

She turned around in time to see a distraught Emma handing over Regina's younger son to Katherine, who kissed his head before frowning at Emma.

Katherine cleared her throat first. "Maybe you should just give her a minute."

Emma shook her head. "I need to see-"

Dr. Whale left Michael and Ava Tillman in the hallway, embracing and sobbing. Every stride he took was wide and rushed. "Where's Regina?" He asked quickly.

"I can-"

Sean cut Emma off and was already on his way out the door before she could try. So the sheriff just stood wringing her hands until Regina came back, but when she did, she stood apart from everyone else, arms crossed and seeming focused, and very tired. There was no way she could run this with the ease and organization she ran her town, and Mary Margret imagined that might be taking it's toll along with the awful fear.

Dr. Whale addressed her, stepping closer and effectively cutting anyone else out of his attention.

"Henry's stable for now. Nick was in a lot worse shape, we had to focus on him first."

She just nodded.

"But in the process of we used all of our O negative supply trying to save him."

"Henry ha-"

Dr. Whale nodded and put a hand on her arm as she hung both of her hands on the back of her own neck, her lip starting to shake. "I know. We have a couple of options you have to choose from before we can make that call."

Emma didn't move, but she faced them, all of her attention honed in on the conversation, as was everyone else.

Regina nodded. "Is he awake yet? Can I speak to him?"

"No, we're holding him under an induced coma so he doesn't go into shock."

Mary Margret's mind was reeling as he spelled it all out for her; something about an internal break in his right leg and the building of pressure, but surgery being risky because of blood loss and Henry having their aforementioned empty blood type. They could wait for an emergency delivery, have Henry carted over to a bigger hospital, which would all take time or,

"We can operate now, call in our list of donors and have the blood come in while we're operating."

Regina let out a slow breath. "What's most likely to get him.. healthy the fastest?"

"Everything involves risk, Regina, that's why we have to have you make the decision."

Emma stepped forward quickly. "Take him to surgery. Call the donors. I have O negative, you can drain me dry if you want to."

"What happens if we wait to transport him?" Regina ignored her.

Dr. Whale frowned. "Pressure could build up in his leg and he could go into shock anyway, his organs could start failing. There's risk of infection or blood clot-"

Regina gave in and started to cry.

Immediately Emma made the few final steps over to her, but the brunette shook off her touch as soon as it landed at her shoulder blade. Then Emmet jumped from Katherine's arms and reached for his mother.

"Regina…" Emma said as the other woman picked up her son.

But she just shook her head. "I can't do this." She said through tears. "I don't know how to be your girlfriend and be worried for Henry at the same time." With a dismissive, half-hearted shake of her hand she turned away.

She saw the way it hit Emma, even from across the room.

"I need an answer." The doctor said.

Regina held Emmet close and nodded to Dr. Whale. "Do the surgery."

He nodded and ushered her over to the receptionist's desk to sign the necessary papers.

And Mary Margret just stared.

All of the information washed over her over and over again, one wave after another without a moment to come up for air. Yet, no matter how far removed, helping was the only thing she could do; in any minute way.

Mary Margret stepped forward, chest puffed out, ready to volunteer when he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Good you-" He looked around him and changed his tone. "I'll need you to go to the blood bank right away."

A younger nurse she wasn't quite familiar with nodded for her and swept both her and Emma away.

And then she went on autopilot.

It wasn't too long before she was in a chair next to Emma, both of them stuck with needles and watching their blood fill up bags. After ten minutes they drank apple juice and ate some crackers while they recouped and stared at the door. A few more people filed in, were hooked up, and drained a reasonable amount and did the same routine.

After the nurses left with the bags and they sat there, potentially for the next four hours, because when it came to saving a boy's life, the twenty-four hour rule didn't really apply. Especially not when the boy's parents are the Sheriff and Mayor of the town.

A silence crept over the room like a predator just beginning the stalk.

Then Emma started to cry. Bent over at the waist, the blonde sobbed outright.

This time, Mary Margret couldn't hold herself back. The role she didn't understand and wished for a second chance at pulled her toward the younger woman like she had no control over her limbs. As soon as she was close enough to hug her, though, Emma shrugged out of it and shook her head.

"God, it's all my fault." She wailed.

"It's not." Mary Margret crouched beside her in a desperate attempt to comfort her. A hand found it's way to Emma's arm and this time she didn't brush it off.

So a bit more – a gentle squeeze, then Emma's head popped up, her face hidden behind one hand.

"Regina wasn't going to let him go. I told her to trust him… God, he'd be at home in bed right now if I just kept my mouth shut." Her voice was so hoarse it didn't even sound like her.

"You can't blame yourse-"

There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that she was listening.

Emma's head fell and she grabbed a fist full of her own hair. Tears dripped from her nose between sobs and gasps.

The older woman just nodded. "Say it."

Her eyes caught Mary Margret's then and the small town school teacher's world spun in place.

Suddenly she was the woman she always wished she would have been, a stolen lifetime's worth of moments laid out in front of her. Emma was three and hugging her leg in the middle of a thunderstorm, or had just fallen off of her bicycle after her training wheels came off. She was crying because someone made fun of her in her first day of middle school, or her first crush broke her heart, or she was too emotional for words on her graduation day.

In reality, Emma frowned at her and said, "What?"

She reclined just a bit and sat on the floor, grasping Emma's knee with both hands. "Just get it out. Everything you're scared of."

Excruciating moments passed with Emma's gaze blankly traveling around the walls. Until, at last her chin wrinkled, fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "I just…" A shuddering breath seemed to rip out of her. "I can't lose them." She shook her head, then covered her mouth.

Mary Margret waited, not moving an inch.

Both of Emma's palms pressed into her temples. "I've never loved this much in my life, ya know? It's taken me so long to get here… to find my home. And what if I lose it?" Her breathing started to get wheezy. "W-what if Henry-"

An awful guttural sound pushed out of Emma's throat before she doubled over again, her head pressed firmly into her knees.

Mary Margret started threading her fingers through the golden blonde she imagined was only much more golden as a child – the curls tighter, and her tears not quite so devastated. She put her forehead against the sandy beige color sprouting at her roots and closed her eyes.

"Emma," she whispered. "Nothing in life is ever fair, and I think you know that."

The blonde didn't move.

"Terrible things happen every day and the Earth keeps spinning."

Emma whimpered a little more.

"And if the worse happens today, it'll be hard." Mary Margret nodded. "It's going to be so hard you'll wake up some days and wonder why anything is worth living through at all. But life keeps happening anyway."

It was like she felt it already – the loss of Henry and the toll it would take, both weighing on her shoulders together heavily, and a knot tied itself in the teacher's throat at the sight.

"Do you know what I think?- Look at me, Emma." She said, gently. "Look."

She did, though through her sniffling.

"Even if the worst happens, Regina will still want you by her side to cry with, and put the pieces back together." She nodded. "Your family won't be gone. Family is what you feel, and you've found that."

"Wh-What if she hates me?"

"No." Mary Margret reached forward and dried Emma's tears. "You're going to be her family forever. Trust me."

* * *

There wasn't a word of what was going on for hours.

The sun was shining much too brightly, unsympathetic to the situation at hand – to how much loss could happen, and had already happened.

Katherine had taken Emmet to her house an hour ago. Ashley had to leave to put her children down for a nap not long after that, and Ruby had taken her boyfriend down to the kitchen just after Emma left to give blood.

Regina glared out the window, at the frost untouched over the grass. It kept shining at her like it was taunting her. That the same thing that had covered her front lawn when she brought Henry home might have taken his life.

She closed her eyes to the thought. There was no word that had happened. In the same respect, there hadn't been any details at all, on Henry's progress or what caused the accident.

It wasn't until half past noon, Whale took solid strides toward her.

Regina could see the tertiary relief on his face, but his words still came through her mind like they had to reverberate through an aquarium to get to her.

Henry had made it.

Then he sighed, far more deeply than Regina felt comfortable with, but her head kept nodding anyway.

His mouth moved and his words followed too many moments later.

They'd done all they could.

They didn't have the right equipment.

Their work had been cut out for them.

When the sound caught up to reality everything dug into her gut.

Henry's leg had been shattered in the impact, not just broken as they had assumed, and letting out the pressure wasn't even half of the problem. More logistics and medical terminology, Whale finally said it.

They had to take the leg.

Just below his right knee would be gone the next time she saw him. Something about bone being shattered and saving the remaining healthy tissue.

Her hand covered her mouth as tears washed over her, both in relief and in guilt.

Dr. Whale's words floated in and out again, straddling the line between reality and the nightmare she'd lived for almost twelve hours, but he agreed to lead her back into recovery.

When her eyes landed on her son, that's when everything fell silent. All she could see was the oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, and the paleness of his skin, and the brace holding his head unnaturally high off of his shoulders. The blackened purple around the right side of his nose and his eye would have been cause for worry enough on a normal day, but the bruise yellowed all the way up around his temple and his cheek bone. There were thin cuts on his upper lip and brow from what Regina imagined must have been broken glass.

But he was alive.

The yammering started again – about complications and wound healing, but Regina sat down like her legs couldn't hold her anymore and shook her head.

"How long are you keeping him?" She asked.

Whale's gulp was audible. "Tonight and tomorrow at the very least. We need to wait until he's conscious to make sure nothing else is hurting him. Monitor other possible internal injuries, but he looks stable."

Regina nodded, but didn't reach out for Henry just yet. It still seemed like a dream. Like if she touched him she would wake up in Emma's arms and noises from downstairs that said he was rummaging through cabinets looking for food.

When she looked back at the surgeon she nodded, slow enough as to not make her head spin any more than it already was. "Thank you."

His eyes shut when he nodded.

Regina knew it was more than Henry weighing on him. But she pushed it from her mind as soon as it peeked up over the horizon of her thoughts.

She turned back to face her son and heard footsteps losing their power down the hall.

It wasn't until the room was solely the sounds of machines whirring and beeping that she actually took Henry's hand in her own.

Regina didn't wake up from any dream. The reality of the situation was staring her right in the face.

"Hey."

She almost stood up, but turning around as fast as she did was enough.

Emma stood in the doorway, red eyed and uncertain.

Regina stared at her for a minute, but didn't know the words to offer to make things less painful for either of them. There was nowhere to start or end at the moment, so she just pulled up the spare chair a little closer to her own.

Emma took it right away, arms crossed in her lap, hunched over – as though her posture was the only thing keeping her being together.

They stared at Henry for a long time, more so trying to ignore the depression in the blankets where the rest of his leg should have been than looking at him. Staring at his face and the trauma so easily visible there didn't do either of them any good. The only thing that came close to comforting Regina now was the steady beeping that said his heart was still strong and steady.

But at some point – Regina couldn't tell if it had been minutes or hours – she reached for Emma's hand.

And the blonde's fingers wrapped around her own instinctively.

"I'm sorry." Regina whispered.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Emma's head turn to look at her.

"For how I acted earlier." Her eyes didn't move from Henry but her grip tightened. "I was so overwhelmed… I know it doesn't excuse what I said, but-"

"It's okay."

Regina shook her head. "None of this is okay."

It didn't take long for her to dissolve into tears once again, only this time she had Emma to pull her closer and just hold her. She thought she felt the blonde's shoulder's shaking as well, but she didn't want to open her eyes yet. She knew when she did things would still be awful. The light at the end of the tunnel still looked dim and too far away to enjoy, because when Henry woke up, there would be a whole new battle to face.

Emma sniffled, but didn't let go. "I shouldn't have-" Her head jerked away in time to cough and Regina looked at her. "You weren't going to let him go." She shook her head. "I'm the one… I said it would be fine and it wasn't. I'm so sorry."

"Emma, no." Regina grabbed at her cheeks. "Don't blame yourself for this. God, I didn't think that for a second, I promise! You can't-"

"But if I let you say no, maybe the twins wouldn't have even gone."

Regina kissed her cheek and held onto her bicep with both hands, resting her cheek on her shoulder. "We have bigger things to deal with. What happened already happened. We can't change it now and it wasn't anyone's fault." Her words were wet and strained, but she held to Emma as close as the metal armrests on the chairs would allow.

One of Emma's hands went to Regina's knee, and the other to one of Regina's hands.

Henry took a shuddering breath and they broke apart, on the edge of their chairs in an instant.

But nothing happened.

Regina ran to the nurse's station. All the way back and into the room, the nurse told her it was probably just a cough trying to come out because he was still under anesthesia and not to worry. But even after everything was checked and double checked, and it was only the three of them left in the room, Regina didn't sit down.

She paced for a while, and smoothed Henry's hair back from his face, and adjusted blankets that were already laid perfectly across his middle.

When she did finally stop running around, Regina just perched on the side of the bed. Her hand swept over the cheek that wasn't so badly bruised, and brushed his hair aside in turns.

Behind her, Emma had her hand on his calf, unable to think anything but _the_ _one he had left_.

"I have to tell my little boy his leg is gone." Regina warbled. "He's not going to be able to play baseball for… God knows how long. I have to tell him that his best friend-"

Her chin fell to her chest.

Emma stood up and forced her way over to have Regina face her.

Then she kissed her.

It wasn't long or passionate. It was like a lifeline – some form of unforeseen comfort neither of them had expected sharing with anyone. But it worked.

They hugged for a while, letting the other cry on their shoulder about everything that had happened, and everything that would happen. The nerves of how hard their lives were about to become bled into their tears. But it felt good to be held.

"Together." Emma said. Just like the years ago Regina grabbed her when she was pregnant and scared, she thought – when Graham came into her house unexpected and she didn't know what would happen. "We're gonna get through this."

Regina just nodded on her shoulder.

* * *

"My brother used to say that maybe people had a quota of good deeds they needed to fill out before they got into heaven... like it paid their way or something. That's what he told me when our mom died."

Ava took a breath, staring down at the notebook paper on the podium in front of her. The long, springy blonde that usually sat so heavily around her ears was pinned back and away from her face. Her cheeks were pink all the way up to her eyes and back, nostrils flaring - though her appearance didn't show even half of how hard it was to do what she was doing.

The casket laid closed behind her, and the sea of people filling up every pew in the chapel in front.

"I don't know where he came up with it. We were ten." She said. Her eyes searched the ceiling for more words instead of her paper, giving up on the formality of it all. "He always did things like that. He figured out how to get to school on time without her. And came up with the idea of staying in those... old broken down houses by the docks. He did everything. Nick was always the strong one." She threw a very wet cough over her shoulder before she took a moment facing away from the crowd.

Henry sat still, his head in his hands and his elbows both rested on his good knee.

Emma and Regina knew better than to touch him, but still looked on with red eyes and a confused Emmet looking at his older brother.

Ava wiped her nose and faced ahead again. "I don't know what to do now. I don't know what to say here. All I know is that he didn't deserve to go." She gave a hapless shrug. "I miss him a lot."

Michael stood up and reached for her, and that turned out to be the end of the eulogy.

A pastor took center stage and said something generic and everyone remained quiet with their flowers poised in their hands to rest on Nick's tombstone later.

Emmet lunged over Regina's lap and hugged Henry.

Only then did the teenager react at all. He hugged his younger brother to his chest.

Both Emma and Regina tried to hold back tears as Emmet patted his brother's shaking shoulders and whispered disjointed bedtime stories to him.

Henry didn't say anything.


End file.
